SWA was awarded 2nd place in the 2016 Olympic Park Competition in Rio de Janeiro for their master plan and landscape architecture proposal. The Olympics will be located on a 118-hectare site in the neighborhood of Barra da Tijuca. The underlying concept of ‘Embrace’ weaves through the design in a grand planning gesture, which both defines the Olympic Games and provides a lasting identity for the City of Rio de Janeiro. More specifically, the plan encompasses the ideas of ‘Games’, ‘Transition’, and ‘Legacy’ as an integrated plan that grows and matures over time, and is guided by strategies of urban design, sustainability and accessibility. The Olympic infrastructure, designed for both the present and the future, creates an exuberant Games experience which easily adapts and transitions into a sustainable urban community. The site is woven together by public space, and includes an innovative greenway system, restored wetland habitat, and urban park intended to serve the city for generations to come.
Haikou Wuyuanhe Cultural and Sports Park
Haikou Wuyuanhe Cultural and Sports Park is a new landmark in Haikou, the coastal capital of Hainan. At its center, the Wuyuanhe Stadium, designed by gmp architects in the form of a crescent, anchors the park as the island’s first large-scale sports venue, with over 41,000 seats and a design that maximizes views of the South China Sea, natural shading, and ven...
Dickies Arena
Dickies Arena is a multi-purpose facility located on the Will Rogers Memorial Center campus and a certified LEED Silver project. The 17.5-acre site provides more than enough space for the arena to host a multitude of entertainment events without reaching issues of overcapacity. Visitors can attend concerts, sporting events, family shows, conventions, and even ...
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...
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...