Nestled between two hills in Shenzhen’s Luohu District, Honggang Park is a green corridor bringing over 80 acres of open space through the city’s dense fabric. Celebrating the site’s stark topography, SWA’s design carefully threads hiking trails along the slopes to minimize ecological disturbance, with stairs providing shortcuts along switchbacks. Altogether, the plan adds or preserves over 5,000 trees.
At either end of the park, sweeping views of the city and mountains can be seen from elevated plazas, with irrigation and security systems discreetly tucked out of view. At the eastern terminus, a “hillside lounge” incorporates sky bridges with a 360-degree lookout terrace from which visitors can see the King Building, KK100 skyscraper, and clusters of new high-rises. At the western end, a multi-tiered, all-weather viewing platform offers views of the surrounding peaks, including Weiling and Yinhu Mountains, and the lush canopy swathing the surrounding park. Outfitted with broad overhanging eaves and spacious wood decks, the platform is configured for flexible, cross-season uses—from fitness and recreation to secluded cultural programs and daily activity.
Embracing the park’s elevation and infrastructure constraints while balancing its dual roles as a high-traffic public park and nature preserve, Honggang Park supports the rapidly growing population of Luohu while offering a sense of retreat and natural immersion.
Katy Trail
Katy Trail represents a remarkable resource for the residents of the Dallas Fort Worth region. This project enlivens and makes accessible right-of-way established by the storied, but later abandoned, Missouri-Kansas-Texas (better known as the “Katy”) line, and serves as a unifying element for the surrounding neighborhoods. Katy Trail provides appro...
San Jacinto Plaza
SWA’s redesign of San Jacinto Plaza, a historic gathering place in El Paso’s downtown business district provides a state-of-the-art urban open space, while protecting and celebrating the history and culture of the site. The project was the result of an intensive community process involving input from a wide range of constituents. Active programming, environmen...
Dongguan Central Park Area
This new 32-hectare park is envisioned as a “livability magnet” in the ongoing renewal of the Dongguan’s Central Business District, intended to attract new talent to the reputed “world’s factory.” SWA conceptualized the park as a living system, inspired by the durable, growing roots of a banyan tree. The design leverages thoughtful soil, water, and planting st...
Shenzhen Bay
Situated just across the bay from Hong Kong, the city of Shenzhen has transformed from a small fishing town of 30,000 to a booming city of over 10 million people in 40 years – and has grown over 200 times its original size since 1980. Along the way, the character of Shenzhen’s bayfront was radically altered. Over 65 km2 of marsh and shallow bay were filled to ...