“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.
Griggs Park Redevelopment
Griggs Park, a historically important open space located in Uptown Dallas, had not kept pace with the ever-evolving culture and artistic neighborhood surrounding it. The new design reflects the changes in urban uses for the now-vibrant neighborhood. Established in the 1940s, the park is the first dedicated to an African American in Dallas. It transitioned with...
Milton Street Park
Milton Street Park is a 1.2-acre linear urban park alongside the Ballona Creek Bike Trail in Los Angeles, California. The plan incorporates numerous green-design elements, including the use of recycled materials, native planting, flow-through planters and treatment alongside the 1,000-foot-long, 45-foot-wide stretch of land. A variety of special elements such...
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...
OCT Bao’an Waterfront Cultural Park
Bao’an Waterfront Park is an essential amenity for future residents of Shenzhen’s rapidly expanding Qianhai area, and is also an important connection between the urban fabric and the ocean. The key landscape frameworks for the park are its riverine interpretation aspects and water’s edge programs. The “Eco River” will bring water experiences into the green spa...