SWA collaborated with the Guangzhou Urban Planning Design & Survey Institute on a new urban design concept for the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. Situated between mountains to the North and the Pearl River to the South, Guangzhou has a unique condition, which allows for the use of existing water channels for the framework of a new open space network. By abstracting the current channel system, a new connective artery links the mountains and the river through a series of multiple village centers. The separation provides a place to celebrate local village traditions, while the water connections create links to the larger city, allowing for functional and secure spaces for the Asian Games.
Shekou Promenade
A gateway for China’s open-door policy, Shekou has revitalized its fragmented and hazardous coastline into a dynamic six-kilometer promenade that masterfully captures the area’s cultural and natural essence.
The promenade repurposes the disconnected former industrial waterfront into a celebrated open space system with new recreation programs...
Four Seasons Sharm el Sheikh
Along Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, a region known for its mountain ranges and canyon-like wadis, the Four Seasons Sharm El-Sheikh bridges steep topography through layered landscapes recalling ancient Egyptian geometry and organic coastal forms. The resort’s defining feature is the monumental stone wall that separates the 90-key hotel from the conference cent...
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 ...
Disney World Master Plan
Special issues in the computer-aided land analysis included depth to watertable, soils and organic mucks, and cypress groves. The analysis summary provided the basis for master planning a mixed-use community with extensive greenway conservation lands, resort development, entertainment facilities, a business park, and a residential community.