“A major victory, if not some kind of civic miracle… Dallas has un-paved a parking lot to put in a paradise — 3.74 acres of it, if you want to be precise.”
– Mark Lamster, architecture critic, Dallas Morning News
The latest step in the renaissance of Downtown Dallas has arrived with Pacific Plaza, a 3.89-acre public park that serves the central business district’s burgeoning population and contributes substantially to the city’s outdoor experience. The first of an ambitious four-park initiative, Pacific Plaza complements adjacent urban greenspace with a varied program designed for intergenerational appeal, nods to local history, and sophisticated, lyrical detail. The design involved the integration of an existing stand of mature Live Oaks (Aston Grove) by way of closure of a bisecting street. The design also elevates a busy corner away from street traffic and noise, orienting users toward a one-acre, multi-purpose central lawn. The park’s 95-by-138-foot pavilion subtly recalls the area’s history with steel panels perforated in Morse Code signatures for every local stop along the Texas and Pacific Railroad between New Orleans and El Paso. “The Thread” (a solid, 611-foot-long seatwall that traverses the entire plaza) unifies the park into a cohesive whole, offering expansive, restorative spaces for residents and visitors alike.
Guthrie Green Park
Guthrie Green transforms a 2.6-acre truck yard into a lively urban park in the heart of downtown Tulsa’s emerging arts district. Opened in September 2012, Guthrie Green has become the area’s leading destination, drawing 3,000 plus people weekly to activities that have enriched the urban experience and spurred district-wide revitalization. The high-performance ...
Miraflores
Miraflores Park, crafted in the early 20th century by Dr. Aureliano Urrutia, a notable surgeon and Latino immigrant, stands as a vital historic landmark along the San Antonio River. Years of deterioration have obscured the park’s cultural significance, leading to its confusion with a cemetery and presenting financial and operational challenges to rehabilitatio...
Nickerson Gardens Playground
Originally designed in 1955 by architect Paul Revere Williams, Nickerson Gardens is a 1,066-unit apartment complex in Watts, South Los Angeles — the largest social housing project west of the Mississippi. Core to Williams’ vision was an emphasis on shared open space, but its central playground, neglected for years, fell into a state of disrepair. In collaborat...
Lianjiang Park
Located between a mountain and river in rapidly growing Changsha, Lianjiang Park commands a critical juncture between city, nature, and a changing way of life. While the Lianjiang region had always been intimately linked to the water, recent urban development has resulted in a significant loss of wetlands, habitats, and the culture they give rise to.
In...