The elegant and the everyday coexist harmoniously in Dubai’s new Opera District, is a stylish cultural destination set to promote culture and the arts, stimulate global exchange, encourage local talent, and serve as a vibrant events venue. Dramatic view corridors lead to both to the opera house and to the adjacent spectacle of the world’s tallest building—the Burj Khalifa. Anchored by the namesake opera house at the heart of the development, three distinct mixed-use areas layer landscape architecture to differentiate each urban space with a distinct character that evokes music and water. This theme extends throughout the many residential, retail, boulevard, promenade, event, and park spaces that comprise the region, creating a distinct sense of place while mingling elegant and quotidian experiences, from enjoying a world-class symphony to mingling with friends in a garden.
Hennepin Avenue
Hennepin Avenue is the oldest street in Downtown Minneapolis, and has gone through multiple transformations over time. The street is undergoing a major reconstruction, and SWA is leading the effort to enhance the character of Hennepin for years to come. The conceptual approach was developed through a robust public engagement process, and touches on the three m...
Yuzhu Riverfront Mixed-Use Development
Positioned along the Pearl River, Yuzhu’s landscape is shaped by the layered forces of geography, history, and industrial memory. The Yuzhu Riverfront Mixed-Use Development is organized along a north–south framework: a vibrant commercial and retail core anchors the waterfront, while the southern district is defined by ecological richness and a high-quali...
Shekou Promenade
A gateway for China’s open-door policy, Shekou has revitalized its fragmented and hazardous coastline into a dynamic six-kilometer promenade that masterfully captures the area’s cultural and natural essence.
The promenade repurposes the disconnected former industrial waterfront into a celebrated open space system with new recreation programs...
Atherton Civic Center and Library
The vision for the Atherton Civic Center landscape is a community space set in a peaceful garden, designed to enhance the local ecology and mitigate the urban impacts of the new development. The landscape design integrates new architecture into the wider Atherton community through a strolling garden approach to site circulation. The planting areas are comprise...