For decades, Williams Square has been the walkable “living room” for Irving, Texas’s Las Colinas community. The plaza’s iconic bronze mustang sculptures, designed by artist Robert Glen, are among the state’s most iconic landscape features, speaking to the state’s identity and history.
SWA’s engagement with the plaza is longstanding, dating back to the 1980s. Initially, the plaza needed to take on a new life as a mixed-use environment. More recently, a growing number of live-work-play residents inspired a new role for Williams Square: one that retained its identity while promoting walkability and active transportation. The original redesign added green space and outdoor seating areas to encourage residents, visitors, and office workers to linger in an identifiably Texan landscape amid sleek new office buildings – recent efforts have reinforced these aspects.
With recent design updates, SWA has refurbished the plaza’s horse sculptures within their signature water feature, refreshing their patina and profile while maintaining the integrity of the original vision. A new overlook and additional shade features have been added to the site, making Williams Square a more fully activated destination that is linked to its surrounding district and continues to serve its ever-growing community. The site’s plantings remain native and local, with live oaks prominent, while the granite plaza and artfully eroded watercourse recall and celebrate the Texan landscape heritage.
Xiqu Opera Centre
After it was decided to locate the main concert venue on the building’s top floor to create a covered indoor/outdoor public realm, SWA designed the entire ground level of this venue for traditional Cantonese opera, including a dramatic, covered open-air landscape space. There, an urban stage facilitates movement, provides a gathering space, and enhances ...
Paveletskaya Plaza
Situated along Moscow’s Ring Road and adjacent to the legendary Paveletsky Station transportation hub, the park at Paveletskaya Plaza will both cover and reveal the new bustling underground retail facility below while also serving as a landmark destination for residents and visitors alike.
The extraordinary retail and architectural vision for Paveletska...
Xiamen Air Headquarters
The Xiamen Airlines campus comprises three large buildings: the corporate headquarters, a business hotel, and a commercial center. To unify the site, the landscape spans across the campus as it transitions to express the distinct character of the various programs and patronage. Lush perimeter terraces adorn the stately Foster + Partners-designed buildings, med...
OCT Bay
Located in Shenzhen, OCT Bay has a combined site area of approximately 1.25 square kilometers including equal parts new urban center and nature preserve. SWA provided both master planning and landscape architectural services for the entire site. As a new urban cultural and entertainment destination, OCT Bay provides urban amenities, entertainment components, p...