Landscapes Waterfront Waterfront Landscapes DESIGN MEDIA PUBLISHING LIMITED DESIGN MEDIA PUBLISHING LIMITED Waterfronts continually evolve, moving through phases and meanings. Today, the landscape urbanism and waterfront reclamation movements are inextricably linked and are now as inevitable as the rising sun. More than seams between city and water, waterfronts are metaphorical links between our past, present and future. The book selects and showcases 46 latest projects of waterfront landscape designs all over the world. These projects respond to different design challenges with a commitment to providing responsible and innovative solutions. With lavishly illustrated images, professional design drawings and limpid texts, the book offers readers a large variety of methods and visions for approaching waterfront landscape design.
Waterfront Landscapes DESIGN MEDIA PUBLISHING LIMITED
Promenades Preface Promenade Samuel-De Champlain Dover Esplanade Surfers Paradise Foreshore Redevelopment Mooloolaba Foreshore Stage 2 Vinaròs Promenade Schloss Promenade on Lake Burgsee Waterfront Squares National Harbour Tjuvholmen, Oslo Urban Dock LaLaport Toyosu Old/New Harbour Bremerhaven Riva Split Waterfront Elwood Foreshore Storaa Stream The Blue Square Erie Street Plaza The CityDeck Phase I Sjövik Square Mendelssohnufer River Bank New White Tower Square Rheinauhafen Cologne Aalborg Waterfront Sonnenbrücke Nord Stadthafen Schleswig Wasserplatz Kiel Tel Aviv Port Public Space Regeneration Waterfront Toronto Waterfront Parks Southeast False Creek Ballast Point Park Erie Basin Park Mangfallpark Rosenheim Sydney Pirrama Park East Side Park General Maister Memorial Park Sam Fiszman Park Rhine Park, Duisburg Barcelos Fluvial Park Appel Park Sandgrund Park Volmepark Hagen Clinton Cove Park, Segment 7, Hudson River Park Riverside Park South Sugar Beach HtO Southport Broadwater Parklands Los Angeles Waterfront Ipswich River Heart Parklands Index 4 6 12 18 24 30 34 38 44 50 56 62 68 72 76 82 86 90 96 102 108 116 122 128 132 138 144 150 156 162 168 174 182 188 192 198 204 208 214 220 228 234 240 246 252 258 264 270 CONTENTS
PREFACE Washed Ashore – Infinite Opportunities Having arrived in New York City to launch my studio in 1970, I was appalled with the state of the “world's greatest” city's waterfront; rotting piers and inaccessible post-industrial sites were severed from the city by ribbons of highway. Sound familiar？Countless cities across the globe have suffered a similar state of neglect. Recent public demand for waterfront accessibility, coupled with development pressure, has led to a rediscovery, reclamation and revitalisation movement. In some cases, with minimal regulations, environmental controls or public approvals, some government sponsored development plans have brought about extraordinary waterfront parks seemingly overnight. Other waterfronts, however, have moved at what seemed to be a glacial pace. After many failed attempts to redevelop an extraordinary 65-acre Manhattan rail yard site on the Hudson River, our team proposed a plan for Riverside Park South in which a 26-acre park would be the site’s centerpiece. The park plan was approved in 1991 yet only had its first water edge phases completed in 2008! Unbelievably, a core element of the plan, the relocation of an elevated highway that visually divides the community and upland park from the river, is still mired in a bureaucratic morass and likely to be years away from completion. Across town, Brooklyn Bridge Park, first conceived nearly 20 years ago, only had its first phase completed in 2010. It’s clear, designing waterfronts is not for the faint-hearted or impatient, but the payoff is spectacular! Today, the landscape urbanism and waterfront reclamation movements are inextricably linked and are now as inevitable as the rising sun. Signifying shared values and cultural ambition, waterfronts provide a unique lens by which the viewer, depending on their position, is able to see across a seemingly intimate expanse. Perhaps it’s the dialogue between oppositional environs, or simply the feeling of being against a great precipice constantly in motion, that brings a magical attraction to waterfronts. Whether it’s the offer of land or water, refuge or prospect, here or there; it stirs the emotions. These aqueous edges create one-of-a-kind experiences, which in turn provide transactions that can be both innate and otherworldly. As the waterfront movement has gained momentum, expectations have risen. Whereas 25 years ago, we might have been satisfied with simply staking a claim at the water’s edge and forging a few informal trails, today’s educated public demands truly remarkable civic gestures that strike dramatic poses on the edges of our cities and define our future aspirations as a society. The design of contemporary public landscapes requires both sensitivity to context and the ability to convey, often with clarity and restraint, qualities that are most special. Indexing a site, and specifically the ways in which recreation, art, architecture, and culture interact with the natural world within both near and broader geographic contexts, allows one to create a new alchemy of space. As plural environments, the design of waterfront parks requires a dynamic process involving collision and collaboration. This rich plurality presents the greatest opportunity to form singular, largescale transformations where landscape, infrastructure, and urbanism are woven into a unified whole. More than seams between city and water, these sites are metaphorical links between our past, present and future. In order to avoid monotony these linear landscapes most often require the definition of distinct zones that have the ability to treat individual areas like episodes in a narrative while providing breathing room for the in-between. Encoded in these delightfully episodic waterfront systems are the collective ambitions of the local communities through which they pass as is evident in the design for the Promenade Samuel-de Champlain. Recounting the coastal environs and the local timber industry, this highly expressive park repurposes a waterfront site and conveys a history unique of place through a contemporary design language, much in the same way that Riverside Park South takes on a rich narrative about the coexistence of rail systems and waterfronts in the industrialised city. To change the paradigm of what a waterfront should be often involves moving constituents away from their initial ideas of a single purpose site and into a dialogue about the contemporary culture of public open spaces. The choice need not be “past or future”, “active or passive”; it can be all, a richly layered space, regenerative and resilient, springing to life by inviting human and natural processes to co-exist. Registering deeply in the psyche of the visitors, these types of landscape typologies enrich the visitor experience, forging stewards of the resilient ecological systems where land meets water. Southport Broadwater Parklands is a project that features an extensive co-mingling of ecology and social systems, evoking both native ecosystems and regional cultural landscapes. The site gives vast acreage to natural processes while maximising its value to the visitor and community. While many waterfronts are fast becoming large scale sculptures that often appear as no more than one-liners, the question deserves asking; “Will these landscape sculptures have enough public input to be the truly democratic spaces that endure the test of time？” Having chaired the competition jury that selected HtO Park, I offer an unequivocal “yes”. Urban waterfronts need not feel as if they are obligated to recreate a “Garden of Eden” detached from natural history; instead the new waterfront can design with nature, allowing natural processes to melded with cultural expressiveness, and remain relevant and accessible while also preserving the transcendent quality of the open space. These expressive spaces draw crowds, add iconography to cities desperate for character, and capture the public imagination by remixing the familiar in new and unexpected ways. To sustain this success, contemporary designers have embraced a process in which outreach, stakeholders and collaboration are valued as vital components of this design process, along with art and innovation. Education: Bachelor of Landscape Architecture SUNY Syracuse Bachelor of Science at Syracuse University Registration: Registered Landscape Architect National CLARB Certification Affiliations: ASLA–Fellow AIA–Honorary Member GSA–National Register of Peer Professionals Institute of Urban Design Urban Land Institute Landscape Architecture Foundation Thomas Balsley Waterfronts continually evolve, moving through phases and meanings. Whereas many waterfronts were originally developed as industrial zones that drove urban growth, their purpose is changing. The financing of this transformation is also moving away from private or public entities into public/private partnerships where their motivations and end-goals are more varied than ever before. A complicated weave (and sometimes conflict) of natural ecology, tourism, culture, leisure, transport, security, and politics is taking hold and their boundaries are becoming more obscure. Notions of global sustainability are manifesting themselves on the shores of every coast. The opportunities are infinite. It’s clear from this book’s extraordinary curation of waterfronts of all shapes and sizes that the door of design opportunity opened wide for these designers and they have stormed in! What designers, sponsors and advocates do with this newfound public trust and artistic freedom should be of collective concern to the design community. Will we overextend our design muscles again at the expense of public benefit and urbanism goals, similar to the mid-century modernist architecture movement that lost public support, or will we fuse our design passions with the 21st century principles of environmental and social sustainability？ Thomas Balsley, FASLA New York, July 2011
~ Promenade Samuel-De Champlain The project reclaims a neglected infrastructural fringe into a generous public, leisure oriented naturalised environment, thus reactivating the city’s access to St. Lawrence River and revitalising its shoreline. Drawing on the site’s unique past and genius loci, the project uncovers and showcases vestiges of natural and coastal heritage, while balancing the soft, luscious coastline greenery with the evocative artificial landscape. The sinuous 2.5 kilometres course of the Promenade consists of a continuous leisurely river boardwalk and a rythmed sequence of four diverse thematic gardens. Each of these singular, dense landscape attractors captures and magnifies the material and poetic qualities of local coastal environment. They celebrate the mist, the wind and the sensory pleasures of water, as well as the memory of docklands' archetypes. The rich, sublime atmospheres and textures are materialised as much with stone boulders, timber assemblies and corten steel thresholds, as with native plants and trees, and as with vapour haze, thick shade, mellow light glows and water reflections. Immersed into an all-encompassing green tide, the gardens are linked by a pedestrian and bicycle path, acting as the project’s connecting spine. The urban furniture, specifically designed for this project, maintains the robust simplicity of maritime, harbour heritage, paramount to this site’s genius loci. The linear rhythm of benches and lights is complemented by freely disposed furniture, dotting the landscape as rafts in the sea of greenery. The project’s underlying, yet seamless achievement is its strong contribution to the restoration of the uniquely rich and diverse, albeit fragile coastal eco-system, and to the renewed accessibility of the river. 1. Quai des Cageux/Pavilion/Tower 2. Coastal Promenade/Marsh/Bridge 3. Boisé Tequenonday/Stair Way/Pavilion 4. Quai No.5/Rest Area 5. Intersection/Rest Area 6. Soccer Field/Pavilion 7. Intersection/Rest Area 8. Quai No.10 9. Quai de Brumes 10. Quai des Flots 11. Quai des Hommes 12. Quai de Vents 13. Relocated Champlain Boulevard Location : Quebec, Canada Designer : Daoust Lestage Inc., Williams Asselin Ackaoui, Option Aménagement Photographer: Marc Cramer Length: 2.5 km linear Completion date: 2008 Right: Quai des Hommes Award description: 2010 Médaille du Gouverneur Général en Architecture 2009 Award of Excellence – l’Ordre des Architectes du Québec – Category Urban Design 2009 Urban Leadership Award, Canadian Urban Institute – Category City Renewal 2009 National Honorable Mention, CSLA Awards – Category Design 2009 Best of Jury of Project Management Institute – PMI Montreal 2008 Best of Category Award – National Post Design Exchange Awards – Category Urban Design and Landscapes Architecture 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
~ Upper left: Promenade – layered textures Lower left: Shelter in wood cladding Upper right: Quai des vents – wind structure Lower right: Quai des flots – water wall
10~11 Left: Quai des Flots – Ice-brake patterns Upper right: Quai des Flots – water walls, waves and ice-brake patterns Lower right: Quai des Flots – wood raft
12~13 Dover Esplanade Location: Kent, Great Britain Designer: Tonkin Liu Photographer: Robert Polley and Mike Tonkin Completion date: 2010 Site area: 6,000 sqm The Dover Esplanade harnesses the architectural language of Dover's identity; the gentle nature of waves on the sheltered beach, the rhythmical sweep of the Georgian Seafront Terrace and the undulating topography of the White Cliffs of Dover. The creation of three new waves brings a new interactive dynamism to esplanade. The Lifting Wave is a repeated formation of sculptural ramps and staircases made of pre-cast white concrete that rise and fall to connect the Esplanade to the lower shingle beach. The Lifting Wave combines ramps formed of miniature steps that create a lightcatching textured surface. The gentle ramps both allow access for all and the sinuous line brings dynamic forms to the beach. The Resting Wave is a sculptural retaining wall that runs the length of the Esplanade, providing bay spaces with seating sheltered from the south-westerly wind and orientated towards the sun. The Resting Wave’s form tilts back and forth in a system of convex and concave forms. Undulating raised lawns follow the curving line of the wall providing a setting for picnics. The Lighting Wave is a sculptural line of white columns with artwork that complements the sweeping form of the sea wall and terrace, bringing improved amenity lighting and programmed lighting sequences to the Esplanade. Along the length of the Esplanade the columns rise and fall like the froth on the bubbling crest of a wave. The interactive low-energy LED lights have been specifically programmed to create a dynamic wave movement, bringing a sense of delight to the seafront. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1. Lifting Wave 2. Resting Wave 3. Lighting Wave 4. Oak Weathered Benches 5. Sculpted Grass Mounds 6. Shingle Garden with Indigenous Plants 7. Existing Pavilion Retained 8. Sea Sports Centre Right: Resting Wave and Lighting Wave Award description: 2011 Royal Institute of British Architects Award
14~15 Upper left: Panoramic view of Dover Esplanade Lower left: The interactive low-energy LED lights have been specifically programmed to create a dynamic wave movement Upper right: The Lifting Wave is a repeated formation of sculptural ramps and staircases Lower right: The Lifting Wave combines ramps that create a light-catching textured surface
16~17 Left: The Lighting Wave complements the sweeping form of the sea wall and terrace Upper right: Benches along sculptural retaining wall providing bay spaces with seating Lower right: Undulating raised lawns follow the curving line of the wall
18~19 Surfers Paradise Foreshore Redevelopment Location: Queensland, Australia Designer: PLACE Design Group Photographer: Gold Coast City Council Completion date: 2011 Site area: 27,000 sqm Surfers Paradise has iconic status in Australia as a playground for vast numbers of locals and tourists of all different ages, interests, cultures and backgrounds. It is a place for fun in the sun, splashing in the surf or simply relaxing in the shade and watching the world go by. The design intent for Surfers Foreshore is to create a dynamic and vibrant public promenade beachfront experience that befits its iconic status. The site incorporates three distinct zones – an urban plaza, urban beach and urban park. The urban plaza is the central area, consisting of a 20m wide pedestrian promenade and bikeway, with seating and a shared vehicular and pedestrian zone. The urban plaza zone includes terraces, ramps and stairs leading to the beach. The beach volleyball courts include broad terraced beachfront spectator seating. The urban park zones incorporate grassed areas, large quantities of existing retained trees, picnic tables, barbecues, beach shelters, beachfront markets and on street parking. A key principle of the overall design is about access to the beach – it is what it is all about. At each street end node beach goers are provided with a clear view and outlooks over the beach, shelter towers, toilets, showers and wide staircases and ramps providing direct access to the beach destination. Beach towers and viewing build outs have been positioned along the entire frontage of the Esplanade. All of the beach towers and toilet blocks contain large super graphic images depicting the changing scenes of Surfers through history. 1 2 3 5 4 6 7 3 2 3 5 5 2 2 2 1 5 3 3 1. Soft Green Edge to Park Zones 2. Toilet 3. Beach Shelter, BBQ & Art Element 4. Dune Area Low Planting & Existing Trees 5. Lifeguard Tower 6. First Aid Room 7. SLSC Equipment Storage Upper right: Access to the beach - the genius loci of the place is paramount Lowe right: Picnic furniture and BBQs are the essential part of the infrastructure
20~21 Upper: Clearly identifiable nodes at the adjacent street ends assist with user legibility and interface with the beach. Lower left: The area affords a significant vista to the beach, as well as being available for public events and celebrations Lower right: Beachfront showers have been placed in strategic locations so the experience of showering is part of the animation: on a platform with a view of the beach
22~23 Left: A key principal of the design was accessibility for all, with extensive ramps for variety of access Upper right: Super-graphic imagery of historical surfers paradise photos on shade structures and public amenities have been used to animate the structures and provide a lively sense of cultural heritage for this iconic place Lower right: A key emphasis of the design is about a clear interface with the beach and the provision of facilities for the enjoyment of all
24~25 Mooloolaba Foreshore Stage 2 Location: Queensland, Australia Designer: PLACE Design Group Photographer: Aperture Photography Completion date: 2007 Site area: 2,800 sqm PLACE Design Group was engaged by the client Sunshine Coast Council to provide design development and construction documentation, landscape architectural services for the beachfront park adjacent to the popular Mooloolaba Surf Club on the Esplanade. The park is a compact foreshore park which experiences concentrated and focused use and demand by residents and visitors alike. The brief was to provide an innovative, creative and functional design in keeping with the established strategic direction and vision for the area. The design needed to capture the essence of the Mooloolaba style which required sensitive manipulation of existing levels and integration of established trees. Coastal She-Oak, Pandanus and Norfolk Pines were retained as essential character and shade elements throughout the parkland. Community and visitor expectations and the demand for a balance between different uses and their space requirements including pathways, BBQ areas, lawns, tables, a playground, beach showers and seating were considered in detail. Several design options were investigated during the design development phase, based upon multiple-use principles to maximise the potential of the limited space. To protect the existing trees, decks were designed over the existing root zones ensuring a continuity of character and protection of these important assets. The resulting space is heavily utilised by the public and has been a very successful project. 1 2 3 4 5 1. Central Beach Stairs 2. Equitable Access Ramps 3. Upgraded Barbeque Terrace with Tables and Shelters 4. Lower Picnic Terrace with Tables 5. Toddler Playground Right: Pedestrian and cycle pathway with water fountains along the way
26~27 Left: Beach access and pedestrian pathway Upper right: Roodside pedestrian and pathway with beach views Lower right: Etched artwork panel by Sunshine Coast Council on stair railings
28~29 Upper left: Bar style seating looks out to the ocean Lower left: Equitable access ramp Upper right: Picnic tables amongst green space, elevated to see the beach below Lower right: Pedestrian and cycle pathway
30~31 Vinaròs Promenade Location: Vinaròs, Castellón, Spain Designer: Guallart Architects Photographer: Guallart Architects Completion date: 2009 Site area: 3,400 sqm Reform of the seafront promenade, as the interface between the centre of the town and the sea, offered a great opportunity for a public initiative to define the desired standards of urban quality for future growth. The main decision here was to transform the entire promenade into an area for pedestrian use, in order to take full advantage of the place’s latent tourist and civic potential, restricting vehicle access for loading and unloading to certain times of the day, and allowing freer access out of season, when this is compatible with the reduced level of pedestrian activity. The structure of the town’s road system is such that traffic in the part closest to the port could be routed behind the buildings on the streets parallel to the promenade. However, the absence of any such parallel streets in the central and northern sectors prompted the decision to construct a tunnel between the end of the promenade and the 250-place car park to be laid out beneath the central plaza. It was also decided to eliminate the concrete wall separating the beach from the promenade to enable the whole area to be perceived as a continuous space composed of a variety of materials. Another significant decision was that the promenade, which at present has an irregular topography, should have a constant level that would set off its eight-hundred metre horizontal line against the natural line of the sea’s horizon. This serves to resolve the difference in level between the beach and the promenade by means of a system of tiers that can be occupied in a variety of ways. 1. Trees 2. Buildings 3. Street Lamps 4. Car Parking Entrance Right: General view of the promenade 2 1 3 4 2 1
32~33 Upper left: Aerial view of the promenade Lower left: Playing area for the children Upper right: Paving details on the promenade Lower right: Sculpture, trees and street lamps
34~35 Schloss Promenade on Lake Burgsee Location: Schwerin, Germany Designer: HÄFNER/JIMENEZ Büro für Landschaftsarchitektur Photographer: Hanns Joosten Completion date: 2008 Site area: 5,400 sqm The Graf-Schack-Allee and the Schloss-promenade on Lake Burgsee form one of the most prominent entryways to the inner city of Schwerin. A new concept for the Schlosspromenade has been called for in the context of the National Landscape Exhibition, the Bundesgartenschau, to be held in 2009. HÄFNER / JIMENEZ Büro für Landschaftsarchitektur designed for this 992,195 Euro project. The street and the promenade are a spatial unit and the completion of the historic old town to the Lake Burgsee towards. Similar to a mediterranean beach promenade, allee and promenade are able to absorb the resulting traffic flows, but to also serve as place to stay. Areas of fear can be avoided by the openness of the promenade and increased its attractiveness. The promenade is underlined as the balcony of the city by a wall ledge from which Lake Burgsee, the gardens of the 21th Century and of course the Palace can be observed in all their splendor. At this level, the effect of the views to the water surface and to the opposite shore, are reflected in a calm, reserved fashion. All in all it is a timeless, unpretentious landscape with low up-keep requirements and future value. The wall edge is on account of the difficult foundation soil at the lakeshore, both constructive and creative element. The balcony on the promenade provides the quality of stay. The clear edge of the promenade stages the Schwerin Castle. The planting between the promenade and the Graf-Schack-Allee has been adapted to this place. 1 2 3 4 5 6 1. Palace 2. Historic Gardens 3. Gardens of the 21 Century 4. Burgsee 5. Schloss Promenade 6. Graf-Schack-Allee Right: Planting along the promenade
36~37 Upper left: View to the castle Lower left: Wall edge Upper right: Promenade and the lake view Lower right: Cycling on the promenade
38~39 National Harbour Location: Maryland, USA Designer: Sasaki Associates Photographer: Craig Kuhner, Ed Wonsek Completion date: 2008 Site area: 1,214,057 sqm National Harbour is a mixed-use complex located along the Potomac River just south of Washington, DC. While convenient to key tourist sites, National Harbour is a resort and convention destination that offers an alternative to the urban experience of Washington proper. The project is evocative of the region’s great urban places such as Georgetown, Annapolis, Maryland and the Baltimore Inner Harbour. The vehicular entrance to National Harbour – called the National Gateway – is designed to provide a sense of transition and arrival. Motorists pass through a monumental gateway portal featuring a site-specific sculpture by Albert Paley, across a series of cobblestone paving bands and under the dappled light of a densely planted birch grove before arriving at the project’s urban street grid. A major pedestrian thoroughfare called Grand Avenue, inspired by Barcelona’s famed Las Ramblas, establishes the primary spine for the project. Defined by an allee of majestic plane trees, Grand Avenue showcases multiple iconic fountains, numerous pieces of public art, and a series of small-scale vendor kiosks. The colour and texture of the avenue’s paving set the stage for its terminus – a waterfront plaza which steps down to a natural sandy beach along the Potomac. Both this avenue and the waterfront plaza are designed as flexible spaces – capable of hosting the activities of daily life while also accommodating major festivals. These key urban spaces are framed by retail storefronts and restaurants, promoting both street activity and urban interaction. 1 2 3 4 5 1 1. Marina 2. National Plaza 3. The Balcony 4. American Way 5. National Gateway Right: Rising from the banks of the Potomac River in Prince George’s County, Maryland, National Harbor is a mixed-used development
40~41 Upper left: A granite staircase - lined with public art and flags - steps down to the National Plaza, the beach, and the River Lower left: Granite furnishings and paving signal pedestrian priority at key intersections Upper right: A stream of visitors arrives at National Harbour from the water taxi service from Alexandria Lower right: A dining terrace along the plaza overlooks the River
42~43 Upper left: American Way, the project’s unifying spine, takes inspiration from the great streets of the world like the Ramblas in Barcelona Lower left: Visitors arriving by water enter the project’s signature plaza, lined with diverse entertainment and retail uses Upper right: Public art - here two eagles atop poles and a terrazzo map of the Chesapeake Bay - provide a gateway between American Way and the Potomac River Lower right: Lined with retail, seating, lush planting, custom furnishings and a series of fountains, the American Way provides a shady place to shop, watch and relax
44~45 Tjuvholmen, Oslo Location: Oslo, Norway Designer: Bjørbekk & Lindheim AS Photographer: Bjørbekk & Lindheim AS Completion date: 2010 Site area: 1,785 sqm Oslo's waterfront, now called the Fjord City, is under transformation with the implementation of a comprehensive plan under the auspices of the local government of Oslo. The harbour and waterfront area have been released to open up the city to the waterfront and free the area for the development of a futureoriented urban environment. The essence of urban planning for Tjuvholmen is defined by the promenade along the waterfront from City Hall and from the neighbouring district of Aker Brygge, which was transformed from a shipping wharf into a dynamic commercial and residential area between 1980 and 1990. Tjuvholmen is the end point of urban development along the waterfront to the southwest. The street network of the district is laid out in a fan shape creating changing patterns of sunshine throughout the day. The terrain on Odden has deliberately been created with the highest point at the central square, Olav Selvaag Place. Three water features and a central tree create character with water features representing water’s different characteristics: a still pond in massive dark granite, a fountain with six water jets and a third feature of rippling, splashing water inside a hollow pillar of rhomb porphyry. Water runs from the fountains in channels through the streets towards the fjord. Street furnishing, lighting, planters for trees and edge stones offset height difference and are consciously designed so that they provide positive aesthetic touches and offer seating and places to dwell. The goal of the project, to create a varied and rich urban experience reflected in buildings and the urban structure, lies at the core of the wish to create a peaceful and cohesive street and floor plan. A solid floor in light tones was designed. The final floor materials consist of granite and concrete with steel elements moulded in. The use of these materials was chosen to reflect the history of the area with elements from the original pier and industrial communities. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1. Traffic Area 2. Arrival Area and a Water Fountain 3. Wooden Wharf and Outdoor Restaurants and Cafés 4. Wharf along the Canal 5. Small Park with Undulated Lawn and Trees 6. Open Area with a View towards the Oslo Fortress and the Sea 7. Central Square 8. Central Pedestrian Street Right: Water features in the square
46~47 Upper left: Olav Selvaag’s square Lower left: Granite stair and wooden deck Upper right: Wooden wharf and outdoor restaurants and cafés Lower right: Details of the water feature
48~49 Upper left: Small park with undulated lawn and trees Upper right: Wharf along the canal Upper right: Concrete stairs Lower right: Little beach
50~51 Urban Dock LaLaport Toyosu Location: Tokyo, Japan Designer: EARTHSCAPE Photographer: Koji Okumura/ Forward Stroke, Shigeki Asanuma Completion date: 2006 Site area: 67,499 sqm In the early 16th century, when people still didn't have a complete understanding of world geography, European global expansion and the Age of Exploration began. Subsequent discoveries of new seaways and new continents played a large role in Europe's development after that. Skip to the 21st century, Tokyo Bay Area, Toyosu, the shipyards once in this area also provided "discoveries" to the people of the world through the ships they produced. Now, this location will be reborn as new landscape that provides new “discoveries.” The plan for this project considers the entire landscape as an ocean, and the people who travel through the area as voyagers. This site was previously a shipyard, and this project will be constructed by reclaiming two old docks. Three waves of "green," "water," and "earth" are layered over the reclaimed land, with a cafe, radio station, and museum scattered throughout to resemble several "islands," and white benches with foam and coral motifs floating above the waves. Voyagers travel freely through the space, experiencing new discoveries and encounters, sometimes letting their bodies be swept in the current, and sometimes navigating through with purpose. The overall vision of the landscape in this project was to create opportunities for a wide array of discoveries and encounters – including new lifestyle discoveries, a rediscovery of Tokyo, and a discovery of new places of interest – while working within the parametres of a symbolic background of the old shipyards, from which the entirety of Tokyo Bay can be seen, as well as a contemporary city setting and Toyosu. Award description: 2007 Good Design Award 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1. Wave Garden 2. Memorial Dock 3. Kids Wave 4. Dock 5. Dog Run 6. View Terrace Seat 7. Industrial Heritage Right: Industrial heritage
52~53 Upper left: Memorial dock Lower left: Wave garden and waterscape Upper right: Wave garden Lower right: Industrial heritage where people can take a seat
54~55 Left: Island stage at memorial dock Upper right: View terrace seat where people can see the sunset Lower right: Island stage
56~57 Old/New Harbour Bremerhaven Location: Bremerhaven, Germany Designer: Latz + Partner Photographer: Christa Panick, Markus Tollhopf, Latz + Partner Completion date: 2009 Site area: 200,000 sqm The spatial, ecological and technical renewal of the harbour site becomes the core of a new town quarter – with residential and recreation areas, with public squares and promenades. The project follows the strategy of a metamorphosis out of traditional elements and refers to the existing urban pattern. It works with surface materials common in the place, thus characterising it with a continuous carpet of natural stone. Metamorphosis and new development reveal historical links reaching out from the city to the port and from the port to the city, making it possible to experience and grasp them both spatially and visually. Historical and new landmarks such as the Simon Loschen tower and the radar tower are presented via visual links in terms of both axis and perspective. The long quays, the rows of tall masts for flags and lights, enhance the effect of the port’s characteristic north-south orientation, drawing the eye out towards the gigantic gantry cranes and the new commercial port. The old street lamps have been replaced by new multifunctional masts. An energy-efficient lighting system allows the streets to be lit in an economically and ecologically sound way, and improves the urban environment. In illumination terms, the light’s colour and brightness and vertical and horizontal arrangement come together with the dark sky and the reflections in the water of the river to create three levels. Natural stone paving covers the quays and squares with a continuous carpet that conveys a sense of calm and lavishness in relation to existing and future heterogeneous development. Award description: 2010 IULA International Urban Landscape Award, Special Commendation 2009 National Award for Integrated Urban Development and Urban Culture 2008 The International Architecture Award 2007 International City. People. Light Award, Special Mention 2006 IIDA International Illumination Design Award of Merit 1. Entry 2. Old Harbour 3. New Harbour 4. Lloyd Dock 5. Lock Garden 6. Bank Weser 7. Zoo at the Sea 8. Building Plot 9. Hotel 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 8 8 8 Right: The Lloyd Square is situated like an inlay within the stone carpet and represents the entrance to the harbour
58~59 Upper left: Developed especially for this site, the Flow Bench is both, seat and sculpture Lower left: The surface material consists almost only of recycled natural paving stones which by use get more and more attractive Upper right: The structure follows a consistent layout in west-east direction from the town centre to the River Weser, thus creating orientation and a strong appearance Lower right: Sawn paving stones with smooth surfaces cover the main walking areas whereas the rough surfaces of cobbled zones along the edges of the quays signal “attention” and caution for pedestrian traffic
60~61 Upper left: A new wooden bridge crosses the historic entrance to the Lloyd dockyard, thus creating a continuous pedestrian connection and a new landmark within the urban context Lower left: The deck of the Lloyd Square rises nearly 20centimetres above the stone carpet Upper right: The “Lock Garden“, shaped by the wind and facing the sea, has been formerly and still today an intimate meeting place Lower right: Timelessness has been the goal: materials are primarily durable and show regional expression
62~63 Riva Split Waterfront Location: Split, Croatia Designer: 3HLD Photographer: Damir Fabijanic Completion date: 2007 Site area: 24,707 sqm The city of Split and its waterfront, the Riva, as the paradigm of its history and character, are among the most interesting and most specific sites in the Mediterranean. Split waterfront is an urbanised, public, open and accessible space, 1,700 years old. It stands in front of Diocletian’s Palace, once the home of the Roman emperor. The modular Roman form of the palace in the latter phase became the framework that shaped the city and directed its expansion; in the same way, the dimensions, materials and form of the modular network of concrete elements laid on Riva directed the arrangement and positions of all the other elements of the public space. The waterfront is the focal point where the city meets the sea. 250 metres long and 55 metres wide, it is also the main public square, the space for all kinds of social events, promenade by day, parade by night, the site of sport events, religious processions, festivals and celebrations. The project rearticulates the space for all the mentioned events and harmonises them on a new integrated surface. The solution uses not only architectural design, but also materials, to respond to all the challenges of utilisation set before the Riva. All urban elements and equipment was specially designed for this project and they try to meet local spirit and atmosphere. 3 2 1 1. Trees 2. Shading Support 3. Benches Right: Aerial view of Riva Split
64~65 Upper left: Exterior façade Lower left: Palm trees Upper right: Overall view Lower right: Bench detail
66~67 Upper Left: Resting area with benches Lower Left: Shading support Right: Close view of benches
68~69 Elwood Foreshore Location: Elwood, Australia Designer: ASPECT Studios Photographer: Andrew Lloyd Completion date: 2009 Site area: 10,000 sqm The Elwood Foreshore is the focus of the beach activity for residents of the Elwood area and beyond. The project includes a new regional cycle way, beach plaza, indigenous plantings, and a new car park with water sensitive urban design (WSUD). The design created shared pathways and surfaces, introducing a continuous and safe cycle path. The roadway and car parking systems were rationalised to minimise conflict between bicycles, pedestrians and motor vehicles. The City of Port Phillip and ASPECT Studios keenly pursued an integrated approach to water, with planning and installation of water tanks for the various clubs and restaurants in the foreshore and full WSUD for the renovated car park. The design provides elegance and sustainability within the limits of its scale and budget. Recycled ashalt was used for pavements to car parks, existing subgrades were used for pavements where possible. Existing furniture such as BBQ’s and site furniture were served and reused to minimise material wastage. This project demonstrates that a seamless connection can be made between functional design (ie cars, bikes, walkers, boats, cleaners) and design elegance. The design has provided back to the community an open and inviting foreshore place, that can be used from causal to large scale, surf life saving and sailing club festivals. 3 2 1 4 5 6 7 1. Elwood Sea Scouts 2. Elwood Angling Club 3. Elwood Sailing Club 4. Elwood Life Saving Club 5. Sails on the Bay (Restaurant) 6. Loading Zone 7. Access Road Right: Overall view of Elwood Foreshore
70~71 Upper left: Pedestrians Lower left: Water facility Upper right: Safe cycle path Lower right: Bench with lighting effect
72~73 Storaa Stream Location: Holstebro, Denmark Designer: OKRA and Schul Photographer: OKRA Completion date: 2009 Site area: 23,000 sqm The project makes a major difference in the city and a connection between the two parts of the centre. The north part and the south part of the centre of Holstebro will be linked by a new focal point. The public spaces around the cultural buildings, like cinema and dance theatre, provide new élan to the city by transforming them into an outdoor stage. The project is the catalyst of changing the riverside from a backside with functional connections into a "place to be". Previously, the riverside was neglected and the city had turned its back towards the water. Even just after the opening one can notice that the riverside is already attractive that the quality of public space will be a catalyst for further development. On the north side of the project, new developments in the next years will create frontages towards the riverside, where it is now just the backside of commercial activities and parking places. In the further future, it can be envisioned that more private owners want to turn their faces towards the river scenery. It can be envisioned that some extension of the buildings combined with underground parking supplies in a future second phase, where parks, playgrounds and small planted squares will form an extension of the beautiful riverside area. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1. Cycle and Pedestrian Bridge 2. Quay Side Seating 3. Storaa Stream 4. Water Podium 5. Planting Area 6. New Dance Theatre 7. Movable Planting and Seating on Rails 8. Water Floor and Fountain 9. Dance Theatre Square 10. Dance Theatre Park 11. Cycle Path 12. Parking Area Right: A view to the theatre and bridge at night
74~75 Upper left: A view at night to the bridge Lower left: The bridge is a link, yet there is also room for informal seats Upper right: The river, now separating two parts of the centre, will become a public stage Lower right: The water floor confines the square and the bleachers along the high lawn
76~77 The Blue Square Location: Drammen, Norway Designer: Arkitekt Kristine Jensens Tegnestue Photographer: Arkitekt Kristine Jensens Tegnestue Completion date: 2007 Site area: 12,900 sqm In the new park of knowledge in Drammen will be framing an adult education centre and a library. The connections between the new main building and the existing heritage buildings is created by a continuous city floor, called the Blue Square. The floor surface and materiality is developed as a metaphor on an enlightened surface of water, so the unity of the plaza is perceived as a long, flowing course towards the river. The surface is made in different shades of grey granite, in which the blue tint is accentuated by narrow stripes of glass and aluminium in blue nuances. Outdoor zones are created on each side of the main building, so that one can always find a lovely place for a break in the sun. Adjacent to the river a big stair is build, and on the south bank there is created a big activity zone with furniture placed in the lee of cherry trees. All furniture is specially designed for the project. The overall placement of the furniture was initiated by the idea of note lines organising, specifying and keeping the different elements into place. The continuous course is even accentuated by the repetition of steel, as a paper chain bended and turned creating various spaces. Light poles with coloured light underlines the blue shade in the evening hours. 1 2 3 4 1. Waterfront Deck 2. Chairs on the Square 3. Furniture 4. The Square Right: The wooden waterfront deck allows people to enjoy the beautiful view
78~79 Left: The blue tint is accentuated by narrow stripes of glass and aluminium in blue nuances Upper right: Light poles with coloured light underlines the blue shade in the evening hours Lower right: Light details
80~81 Upper left: The surface is made in different shades of grey granite Lower left: The continuous course is even accentuated by the repetition of steel Upper right: The specially designed furniture allow parking bicycles Lower right: Bench details
82~83 Erie Street Plaza Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA Designer: Stoss Landscape Urbanism Photographer: Stoss Landscape Urbanism, Vetter Denk, James Dallman Completion date: 2010 Site area: 1,208 sqm The project grows from three hybrid ecologies that step down across the site towards the water: radiant grove, flexible field, and steel marsh.The radiant grove occupies the upper end of the vegetal gradient, at the plaza’s urban edge. The poplar grove is positioned to shelter the rest of the plaza from cold winter winds yet are deliberately transparent to allow for views and safety. The grove maintains a dense straight line parallel to street edge but opens up toward the river. The primary element – the flexible field – is a hybridised plaza-green, with pavers and lawn surfaces that allow for both intense activity and more passive use. The plaza is articulated as an eroded field of custom pre-cast pavers distributed to maximise variability and flexibility. The plaza’s indeterminacy is accentuated by the erratic scattering of seatwalls and luminous fiberglass benches, which capture and reflect ambient light and project light from within. Their irregular placement allows for multiple and diverse social groupings or solitary retreats, in shade or full sun, protected or exposed. The luminous qualities of the fiberglass are accentuated as night falls, projecting light from within and reflecting the passing headlights of automobiles. The glowing benches have become a signature element of the project. The variegated surface extends into the steel marsh, which occupies the lower end of the plaza gradient at the river’s edge. Capturing and cleaning site stormwater, the steel marsh is key to the site's stormwater management strategy. Lowering the grade behind the bulkhead wall allowed for the collection of site stormwater in a perched position above the river, newly protected from industrial activities and barge wakes. 1. Federal Channel to Lake Michigan 2. Concrete Pavers 3. Poplar Grove 4. Seating 5. Restaurant and Condominiums 6. Erie Street 1 2 3 4 5 6 Right: The variegated surface extends into the steel marsh, which collects and cleans stormwater from the site
84~85 Upper left: Along the boardwalk the grove opens up intermittently, allowing passage through to the heart of the plaza. The benches glow at night and have become a signature of the project Lower left: The grove is positioned to protect the site from cold lake winds, yet it is deliberately transparent to allow for views and safety Upper right: View from the upland terrace across the plaza to the lower wetland and the river beyond. Heavy rainfall collects in the steel marsh, making environmental cycles legible to plaza visitors Lower right: View from Erie Street towards the river. The poplar grove holds a straight line parallel with the street edge, opening up into a looser configuration toward the river
86~87 The CityDeck Phase I Location: Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA Designer: Stoss Landscape Urbanism Photographer: Stoss Landscape Urbanism Completion date: 2010 Site area: 10,117 sqm The project starts as a simple boardwalk deployed at the edge of city and river. The highly articulated wooden boardwalk undulates, folding in response to technical, code, and programmatic issues. At the scale of the human body, these folds create diverse seats, benches, and chaise lounges that allow for choice and flexibility. The idea was to give people many choices about where to sit, depending on their own desires, their body type, their mood, and their attraction to various ambient light, heat, or weather conditions. The wood surface folds up and over the existing bulkhead wall at the north end of the site, rising to form a dramatic overlook perched above the river on piles – a great place to watch passing lake barges and small recreational boats. At the city edge, the surface folds up again, affording adjacent buildings required protection from flooding and creating retail and dining terraces, seating, and communal chaise lounges looking out to the water. A flexible upland plaza floats atop fill between the perched terraces and the undulating boardwalk, creating a free-zone to be inhabited by festivals, vendors, and spontaneous activity; it doubles as an informal amphitheatre for performances and is marked at its southern end by an interactive play fountain. Lawns are located at both north and south ends of the project, allowing for casual play and picnicking. Groves and scatterings of gingkos, elms, and coffee trees offer shade in the hot summer sun and reduce adjacent buildings’ cooling loads. During football season, the trees turn bright yellow, half of the green and gold color scheme of the city’s beloved Green Bay Packers football team. The green is manifested in custom-designed concrete pavers (with a green aggregate), shaped to resemble fish scales and perforated to allow for stormwater infiltration. 1. Transient Docks 2. Pine Street Steps + Stage 3. Interactive Water Feature 4. Lawn 5. Cherry Street Landing 6. Grove 1 2 3 4 5 6 Right: View looking south along The CityDeck from the Main Street Bridge
88~89 Upper left: Larger and longer bench forms allow for gathering and group sun-bathing Lower left: The wooden surface expands at the Shopko Landing, rising up as a dramatic overlook and fishing pier Upper right: In the fall, the gingkos, Kentucky coffeetrees, and Liberty elms all turn bright yellow Lower right: Overview of the southern end of The CityDeck, near the Walnut Street Bridge
90~91 Sjövik Square Location: Stockholm, Sweden Designer: Thorbjörn Andersson Landscape Architect Photographer: Åke E:son Lindman, Patrik Lindell Completion date: 2010 Site area: 12,000 sqm Sjövik square is situated right on the quay of Årstadal. It opens up towards the water and thus includes the larger landscape in its design. To underscore this basic idea, the square is laid out as a flat plane which has then been tilted towards the view. Two recreational lawns furnish the upper part, outlined with a broad granite edge for seating. The lawns are horizontal and rise gradually from the ground plane, clarifying the plaza slope. Two 100-metre-long wooden boardwalk promenades frame the plaza and direct the view. They have a Y-shaped configuration, where the western leg steps down towards the water in series of sun terraces. The eastern leg is a pier which passes the quay edge by 40 metres, hovering over the water. To balance the openness of the triangular square, an equally triangular grove of semi-transparent Gleditsia trees has been added at the western perimeter of the plaza. The trees stand in a gravel surface, which also hosts a small playground and lanes for bouclé games. The grove transcends into a sunken garden with horticultural content, shadowed by cherry trees. Included in the design is also a 35 metres wide water feature, with a thin layer of water rushing over a shingled surface of Norwegian slate, as well as an environmental sculpture by artist Jan Svenungsson. This artwork consists of three very large boulders, one of them engraved with headlines fetched from the daily newspapers of the day the square was opened to the public. 1. The Square 2. The Benches 3. The Grass Garden 4. Grove 1 2 3 4 Right: The square is tilted 3 % towards the water in order to give focus on the view
92~93 Upper left: The square has an edge definition by two long wooden decks, laid out in a “V”-configuration Lower left: A site-specific artwork by artist Jan Svenungsson consists of three very large boulders with inscriptions from daily newspapers Upper right: Terraced sun decks at western side of the square Lower right: The lawns are accessible for the disabled at their upper side
94~95 Upper left: The east wooden deck is planted with Gold Rain/ Laburnum Lower left: The surface of the square has a pattern composition as a textile fabric with granite imported from China, complemented by lines of steel Upper right: One of the boulders is placed in a wide water feature with streaming water occurring as a thin layer Lower right: At dusk, the lake surface reflects last rays of the sun
96~97 Mendelssohnufer River Bank Location: Leipzig, Germany Designer: GFSL Clausen+Scheil Landscape Architects Photographer: Gunter Binsack Completion date: 2007 Site area: 7,500 sqm The redesign of the green space known as the "Mendelssohnufer" commemorated the former Gewandhaus choirmaster and founder of the first German music conservatory with a bust and the expression of the access down to the waterway as musical staves with the theme of the E-minor violin concerto. The old Gewandhaus, which was destroyed in the war, stood on the same spot as the music academy that today bears his name. Before the redesign, the square in front of the former Reichsgericht and the old Gewandhaus sites was a triangular lawned area surrounded by traffic and was generally unused or just treated as somewhere to walk the dog by the local population. The construction of the new Humanities centre has transformed the area where the destroyed Gewandhaus once stood. The introduction of the underground car park and the repositioned entry and exit routes reduced the impact of traffic in this residential district. By redesignating road space as green space, the location becomes a much a more pleasant place to sit or linger. More details: -By rearranging the traffic flows using traffic calming measures on the residential area. - The creation of a landscaped park to form areas for relaxing and communication - Opening of a further length of the Pleiße, which had been culverted in 1950s - Formation of a wide planted bank zone with access to the water by appropriately shaping the buried structure of the underground car park. - Commemoration of the old Gewandhaus destroyed during the war by the inclusion of the Mendelssohn bust. 1. Grass 2. Planting Area 3. Seating Area 4. Concrete Paving Stones 5. Recommended Location of Mendelssohnmemorial 6. Column Lights 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 Right: The open space includes the watercourse bank with its step seating as musical staves and cubes as notes in its design