Inspired by the city’s rich history of aerospace research and manufacturing, Lynwood Mega-Playground brings a dynamic space exploration-themed playground to the heart of the Central Los Angeles city.
Completed in Fall 2024, the playground transforms the Northwest corner of Lynwood Park into a colorful spectacle with super-sized play features including a 22-foot-wide sphere inspired by Saturn’s rings, a 30-foot-high rocket structure, and an 86-foot “constellation walk” meandering through the site. Throughout, the design prioritizes sustainability with low-carbon concrete, engineered wood fiber play surfacing, and structures built with post-consumer recycled materials. The same priorities extend through planting design through drought-tolerant shade plants, native trees, and supportive species for birds, insects, and wildlife.
Capturing Lynwood history in striking physical form, the Mega-Playground serves as an afterschool hub for students, bringing STEM education into the outdoors. To this day, the majority Latinx city plays a crucial role in supporting space exploration technologies—an industry that dates back to the 1950s, when aerospace innovators clustered in the South Bay area.
The project is the latest in a series of transformative open space investments including the SWA-designed Ricardo Lara Park, completed in 2015, and Fernwood Avenue Park, completed in 2023.
Ichigaya Forest
“Ichigaya Forest” is the privately owned, publicly accessible, major open space on Dai Nippon Printing Company’s 5.4-hectare new world headquarters in the Shinjuku Ward. Vertical development and production modernization that extends underground was made possible the creation of this 3.2-hectare open space. Over half the site is now planted wi...
Ontario Grand Park
Dating back to the late 1800s, Ontario, California, has been an ideal destination for agriculture, boasting orange, peach, lemon, and walnut groves. With an economy now based in manufacturing, access to an international airport, and proximity to Los Angeles, Ontario’s population is predicted to double by 2035. In response to the growing community, Ontario Gran...
Tulsa Riverfront Park
SWA directed conceptual studies for incorporating a landmark residential estate, a multi-family housing complex and a creek corridor into the adjacent Arkansas River waterfront of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Recently acquired by a local community foundation, the total 64-acre area features sweeping lawns and a historic home that provides much-needed space for the city’s ...
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...