Sunnylands Pink Walls

There has always been a great deal of curiosity about the pink Sunnylands walls. Originally a pink oleander hedge surrounded the estate. In the early 90s a blight killed the oleanders. Mrs. Annenberg decided to surround two sides of the property with a concrete block wall that matched the entrance pyramids, already painted pink to match the roof of the house. Mrs. Annenberg loved the pink tones that can be seen in the sunrises and sunsets in the desert as they reflect on the nearby mountains.
 
The experience of the new Center site adjacent to the Sunnylands estate is meant to evoke the iconic nature of the pink walls of the estate while appropriately differentiating the new from the historic.  Reflecting the existing pattern of 8x8 vertical scored concrete masonry, the new Center walls are integrally cast with a pink matrix and burnished to expose the mix of white, grey, and pink aggregate.
 
The Center is connected to the estate property by a new gate, flanked on either side by battered, pyramidal shaped walls meant to evoke the main gate of the estate off Frank Sinatra Drive. This will provide the visitor a similar experience of passing through the pink walls when entering the Sunnylands property from the Center.
 
John C. Berley

Associate, Frederick Fisher and Partners Architects
 
Linda Brooks
Sunnylands Facilities Manager

Restoring the Golf Course at Sunnylands

Playing on the golf course at Sunnylands was a highlight of time spent with the Annenbergs.  As Sunnylands prepares to welcome new visitors, the work of restoring the golf course began with research on designer Dick Wilson's original intent. Research led us to Pine Tree Country Club in Boynton Beach, Florida where we found authentic examples of Dick Wilson's design philosophy, as well as personal stories of Mr. Wilson's personality and character traits.  Tony Cuellar, Sunnylands' original golf course superintendent, has been generous in sharing his memories and stories of the construction and early years of the golf course.  An aerial photo of the property shed even more light on how the course has evolved.  Original photos from the construction process are being utilized to better understand Mr. Wilson's vision.

David Kahn
Principal and Founder, Jackson Kahn Design

Annenberg Center Construction Milestones

Construction of the Annenberg Center at Sunnylands recently reached a significant milestone with the delivery of plant material and trees slated for installation in the west gardens of the 15-acre site. This occurred in conjunction with the arrival of the exterior glass curtain wall system. Soon the exterior envelope of the building will be complete – providing protection from blowing sand and rain while interior finishes, including terrazzo flooring and millwork, are installed.
 
Construction has also begun on two reflecting ponds along the west terrace, one outside the Center café and the other just outside of the theater. The next phase of construction will include placing the exterior flatwork around the perimeter of the building and installation of the central auto court and planters, including a pattern of colored concrete pre-cast pavers.
 
Recent aerial photos of the project begin to reveal the important relationship between the size and scale of the Center building and surrounding gardens, as the landscape design envisioned by the Office of James Burnett is realized.

John C. Berley
Associate, Frederick Fisher and Partners Architects

On-Site Composting Program

Wikipedia defines composting as "the purposeful biodegradation of organic matter, such as yard and food waste".  Here at the 215 acre Sunnylands property we have embraced this idea and put plans in place to start our own on-site composting program.  The end goal is to completely eliminate our reliance on off-site recycling centers to dispose of green waste materials.  Our composting program will allow us to generate a product that is rich in natural fertilizers and microbes that can be reused on the grounds, improving the soil health naturally, reducing the need for additional fertilizers, and ultimately reducing water consumption.

Pat Truchan
Director of Landscape and Agronomy, Sunnylands

Photo Voltaic System

One major component of the environmental design for the Annenberg Center at Sunnylands is the inclusion of a Photo-Voltaic system.  The production of electricity by means of this PV field or "farm" is expected to produce 100% of the electrical energy demands of the Center project when it opens in 2011.

Situated in an ideal desert environment that receives over 300 clear, sunny days per year, an array of three rows of solar collectors up to 250 feet long is being constructed in the northwest section of the Center property.  The collectors have been placed on a steel superstructure that allows the land below the collectors to be shaded and re-purposed. 

The energy produced by the PV system will be tracked via the internet and used in conjunction with the daily monitoring of the Center's energy consumption to help achieve the highest possible efficiencies in the project's overall energy performance.

Although the Center project is scheduled to open in November 2011, the Photo-Voltaic system is expected to be completed and go on-line this summer.

John C. Berley
Associate, Frederick Fisher and Partners Architects

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Dick Wilson, Sunnylands Golf Course Architect

Dick Wilson, the original golf course architect of the course located within the Sunnylands landscape, was one of the most sought after golf course designers from the 1950s and early 1960s. Notable golf courses also to Wilson's credit during this era of golf course design were his home course Pine Tree Country Club ('62), Doral Country Club Blue & Red ('62 & '64), La Costa Country Club North & South ('64), and Cog Hill Golf Course No.3 & No.4 ('64).   The Sunnylands golf course project was completed in 1965.   Research is being conducted to restore the course to its original Dick Wilson design characteristics and to provide further insights on how the course was played as the Annenbergs entertained their distinguished guests.

Steven J. Plummer, CGCS
President, CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF SERVICES, INC.

From the Sunnylands Collections:

The Annenbergs surrounded themselves with their books at Sunnylands. The broad range of subject matter informs us of their varied interests which included art history and the fine arts, national and world politics, architecture and design and an impressive collection of Presidential and First Family biographies and autobiographies, many of which are signed and/or inscribed.   The Reagan Diaries, Ronald Reagan, is one example, published by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Foundation in 2007, and edited by Douglas Brinkley.   Nancy Reagan inscribed the book to "Lee," a nickname for Leonore Annenberg, on the title page.   The warm sentiment speaks to a close friendship and a shared history: To my darling Lee, with so much love and many, many memories. Nancy

Anne Rowe
Collections Manager - The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands

A. Quincy Jones and Frederick Fisher Partners Architects 

 

Since 1995, Frederick Fisher and Partners have practiced in the office building built by A. Quincy Jones and Frederick Emmons for their practice in 1958.  The building is a Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Monument and has been a daily source of pleasure to staff and visitors who enjoy its openness, variety of spaces, natural materials and connection to a series of interior garden courtyards.  As I sit at his desk, a beautiful piece of built-in furniture, I imagine Quincy designing Sunnylands for Ambassador and Mrs. Annenberg in this very office.  It is meaningful to us to be involved with the preservation and renewal of that legacy while working with Mrs. Annenberg on the Annenberg Center at Sunnylands and later on the transition of the estate itself from a private home to a public cultural institution.

Frederick Fisher, FAAR '08
Frederick Fisher and Partners Architects

Aerial view of the Center building under construction

The Annenberg Center building is moving forward according to the construction schedule. Frederick Fisher and Partners is the architect for the new center. Frederick Fisher won the Rome Prize in Architecture in 2008 and the firm is internationally recognized for the design of art museums and education facilities. The design for the Center uses clean lines, restrained detailing, quality materials, and a strong relationship to nature to evoke the architecture of Sunnylands. The firm’s office is housed in the former office building of A. Quincy Jones, the original architect for Sunnylands.