In 1986, Thomas Balsley Associates was asked by the Chelsea Waterside Park Association to translate this community’s vision for a waterfront park into a design document that would be used to plan the new Route 9-A and the proposed Hudson River Park. Ten years later, when funding for the Chelsea Waterside Park was identified, Thomas Balsley Associates won an invited design competition and the 2.5-acre park was completed in the fall of 2000. Chelsea Waterside Park became a cherished community space and the first jewel in the Hudson River Park “necklace.”
The design takes into account Chelsea’s multiple open space and recreational needs and its diverse community. All are expressed in a contemporary design language of curving forms and color that is balanced with lush plantings and historically derived rugged stone detailing for walls and pavements.
Today, the park is home to round-the-clock activity, lawns and green spaces for passive uses like sunning and picnicking, multi-purpose sports fields and court games, shade structures, an interactive water play area, Chelsea’s only public horticultural displays, elevated sunset overlook, food concession structure with restrooms and cafe terrace, and a “state of the art” adventure dog run.
SIPG Harbor City Parks
This new riverfront development is located on the Yangtze River in the Baoshan District of Shanghai. This area boasts some of the highest shipping activity in the world. However, in recent years this single-function industrial zone has given way, allowing for waterfront parks to develop. Within this historically layered water front the Baoshan Park and Open Sp...
Dubai Expo 2020
From October 2021 to April 2022, the City of Dubai will host the World Expo: a large-scale International Registered Exhibition that will bring nations together with universal themes and immersive experiences. It will comprise an entire new city, built on a 1,083-acre site between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The Expo site is organized around a central plaza linked to ...
Park 101
Description: SWA and John Kaliski Architects are providing landscape architectural and urban design services and advice to the Park 101 Phase 3 study, led by ELP Advisors. The study’s goal is to advance the project from the planning phase to the project implementation phase. SWA is an advisor on programming, design options, development, density, and managing t...
Faria Lima
A new office tower, theater and café pavilion known as Alameda is being built in the high end district of downtown Sao Paulo; the centerpiece of the site design is the Alameda civic plaza. Lifted gently above the street level, four generous steps invite visitors to enter and explore the plaza while branded light pylons at all major entrances serve as place mar...