LASN is a photographically oriented, professional journal featuring topics of concern and state-of-the-art projects designed or influenced by registered Landscape Architects.
Issue link: https://landscapearchitect.epubxp.com/i/457513
February 2015 33 be a lasting model of efficiency and environmental sensitivity. Ultimately, given that humans have been inhabiting some of the most unlivable places on Earth for thousands of years, this project set out to pay tribute to human life in the desert by creating a stunning green space that works with the desert climate instead of against it, resulting in a world-class space that is accessible and enjoyable for humans but still mindful of the remarkable beauty and history of this unique environment. Offering an invitation to spend more time outdoors comfortably, an extension of the park design follows a promenade along its two-kilometer length and provides the kind of connective tissue that typically does not exist in this city where people drive from place to place. Project Site, Scope, and Challenges Situated on 27 acres of land, the "green oasis" encircling the Burj Khalifa tower includes plazas, gardens, pools and promenades that create a human-scale frame for the tallest tower in the world. On the ground, the scale of the building is nearly unfathomable—the residential high-rises that form the backdrop for the tower look miniscule by comparison. Given the dominance of the building, it was important to create a landscape that featured the building, yet still provided refuge in places from its awesome mass. Without proper care, the design of the ground surrounding the building ran the risk of creating a uninhabitable no-man's land, alternating between sun-induced conditions such as scorching glare, distortion from sand in the air, and extreme temperatures of 115° F or more, and building- induced conditions such as pervasive shadow as well as pockets of unusual wind turbulence created by the tower's aerodynamic shape. Instead, the Above SWA did the concept design for all the Burj water features. WET Design of Sun Valley, Calif., was brought in to do the technical drawings and installations. Ph OTO : TOM FOx, SWA GrOUP