North Bund Riverside Park, located on a prominent 2.1 km waterfront along Shanghai’s Huangpu River, is the first project of its kind in Shanghai to address contiguous waterfront open space. The goal of the associated international competition was to find innovative solutions to transform a post-industrial waterfront with historic elements into a viable active place for the city’s residents. SWA’s winning proposal for the park is concentrated on the concept of ‘fluidity’, referring to the fluid movements of the tidal river, transportation systems and people within a complex waterfront site. The concept seeks to understand the various circulation requirements of landscape and architecture and merge them into a set of graceful, flowing system of pathways, roadways and interconnected spaces. By allowing ongoing uses of passive and active recreation, the design orients itself toward accommodating the flooding condition of the river. Additionally, open plazas and small parks are integrated into the landscape to allow for places of respite for visitors, playing off of the ‘borrowed landscape’ of buildings, ramps and platforms in order to heighten user experience. Embedded vestiges of the past are incorporated into the plan, including design elements such as light poles, bollards, graphics, rails and cranes, and are now used to enhance and connect the past to the present and future. Through an understanding and sensitivity to tidal changes, historic architectural elements, and transportation networks, SWA has created a master plan designed to provide a seamless and integrated landscape that embeds itself in and ultimately enhances the waterfront of Shanghai.
Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park
Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park has been heralded as Tampa’s missing “here” and the crown jewel in the city’s Riverwalk, a bold urban plan conceived to reactivate the Hillsboro River and downtown Tampa. The master plan sets the park as the district’s focal point, positioning the Riverwalk, museums, and park buildings to the park and the waterfront. The plan...
Embankment Square
The Embankment Square is located along the east bank of the Huangpu River in Shanghai. The project consists of landscape areas in three office parcels and one waterfront park parcel. The view of the site is remarkable, looking toward the landmark skyscrapers of Lujiazui Financial Center, Nanpu Bridge, the Bund, and the Minsheng CBD.
The design concept c...
Kaohsiung Waterfront Renovation
SWA, in association with Morphosis Architecture and CHNW, developed a vision for the future of Kaohsiung Harbor Wharfs, which includes 114 hectares of prime waterfront property formerly used for cargo shipping. The site, located in the shipping heart of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, was historically subjected to environmental neglect and rampant uncontrolled development....
Hengqin Island
Hengqin Island, located in Zhuhai, China, is embedded within a unique and beautiful landscape, and is currently being developed for urban growth throughout the region. Taking cues from the surrounding site, SWA’s master plan intends to capture the essence of the place, and pay homage to its most fundamental landscape elements: the sea, valley, and mountains. S...