10 Li Park

2007 - Seoul, Korea

10 Li Park

Seoul, Korea

CLIENT Multi-functional Administrative City Construction Agency of Korea / PROJECT AREA 2,700,000 m2 / STATUS Competition Finalist, 2007 / DESIGN TEAM Balmori Associates, Inc. / Joel Sanders Architect / MAD office Ltd. / EXE Ltd.

10 Li Park evolves from the overlay and intersection of a central park, a linear park, and architecture. The central park is a space for recreation and experiencing nature, while the linear park “climbs” the nearby mountains, extends onto the river, and weaves through the site to connect the various areas of the immense site. Architectural elements exist at the interface of these two typologies binding them at their most significant intersection. It is a fresh interpretation of each typology that results in new spatial and programmatic strategy for occupying the landscape. The 10 Li Ring combines historical, natural and constructed order of the river, the levee and Public Administration Town (PAT). Li is a traditional Korean unit to measure distance; 10 Li becomes a tool to engage the spatial experiences of the park.

The Ring is a ‘Museum Mile’ that connects 3 of the planned facilities; a line of culture that creates a porous public boundary between the various landscapes and the architecture. The Li-near Loop is the primary line in the park’s succession and growth. All program and park spaces develop out of this loop in time. It is the primary circulation path and an ecological corridor for habitat, filtering, cleaning and purifying air and water; an active environmental engine. In order to maintain a continuous park surface that links to the river and the 10 Li Ring, traffic through the park is placed under this surface before emerging and linking with PAT’s road network.

Hudson Yards Park

2008 - New York, NY, USA

Hudson Yards Park

New York, NY, USA

CLIENT NYC DDC / LOCATION Hudson Yards, NY / STATUS Competition Finalist 2008 / DESIGN TEAM Balmori Associates, Work AC, Langan Engineering, L. Robertson Associates, Fritz Haeg, Projects Projects, Creative Time

Hudson Yards linear park runs parallel to the Hudson River Park connecting the major transportation and cultural hubs of 34th and 42nd streets. Low Line Park is a linear park with a new context and form. It is a park of movement that creates an urban leisure infrastructure and includes diverse programming. 

Low Line Park in the Wild West Side responds to the architecture, infrastructure, topography and ecology to create what we term SuperCityPark(s). The park and streetscapes weave through each block, taking on specific character and creates a program accordingly. The park builds off the energy of the city- and by its nature the park retains and develops its traditional ecological functions: habitat creation, stormwater management, species diversity. This pattern of development and its mixed use will serve as a model for Low Line Park as a new kind of linear park, one with a programmed response to its surrounding development.  

Ground Zero Viewing Wall

2003 - New York, NY, USA

Ground Zero Viewing Wall

New York, NY, USA

CLIENT LMDC / STATUS Completed 2003 / DESIGN TEAM Balmori Associates, Pelli Clarke Pelli 

Temporary memorials arose as a way for both city residents and visitors to respond immediately to the events of September 11th --areas for grieving sprang up on fences, traffic islands in downtown Manhattan and fire stations throughout the city. While the pairing of the terms ‘temporary’ and ‘memorial’ is seemingly contradictory, this juxtaposition adds a certain resolution that exists for a fixed period in time. Balmori Associate’s viewing wall for Ground Zero looks to those spontaneous, short-lived responses as a way to capture a specific moment of our grief.

Ground Zero’s perimeter enclosure was imminent, as the Port Authority announced plans for a 40-foot long fence around the site; as a response, Balmori Associates generated ideas for the enclosure, presenting them in model form at a meeting of the American Society of Landscape Architects at the Max Protetch gallery.

The proposal was sent to the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) and the Port Authority developed an alternate plan based on Balmori Associates’ design.  New York New Visions, a committee of design professionals concerned with the rebuilding effort, further revised the proposal during a weekend charrette. The Port Authority then produced construction documents, modifying our suggestions but keeping our original idea of transparency and setbacks.  The final viewing wall was 13 feet high with 5-foot setbacks where visitors were able to leave mementos to be collected on a regular basis.

The structure is also a sort of construction fence-a regular feature at every construction site in the city since John D. Rockefeller put one specifically designed for viewing the construction of Rockefeller Center in the 1930s- an acknowledgement of the public’s legitimate inclusion in urban development. 

The name of the structure changed from “construction fence” to “perimeter enclosure” and then to “viewing wall” to reflect an awareness of its public role.

Cliff Walk Mar del Plata

Mar del Plata, Argentina

Cliff Walk Mar del Plata

Mar del Plata, Argentina

DESIGN TEAM Balmori Associates

Pathways, ramps and stairs make for a new interface between the city and the water. They weave into a dramatic steeped space expanding at times over the water or creating tidal pools. Nodes of public space rhythm the cliff walk.

Godrej Campus Master Plan & Corporate Headquarters

2015 - Mumbai, India

Godrej Campus Master Plan & Corporate Headquarters

Mumbai, India

CLIENT Godrej Properties / STATUS Completed 2015 / DESIGN TEAM Balmori Associates / Pelli Clarke Pelli /Atelier 10

A large park will form the heart of this mixed-use development, with unique and colorful pocket parks integrated into the spaces between the architecture. Rooted in Godrej’s commitment to ecology and sustainability, the overall landscape concept is designed to manage the site’s water; complementing the building programs and activities. Water, both abundant and scarce, is a valuable resource in the Mumbai landscape. Various measures collect storm water during the summer and use it when rainfall is limited. All buildings, infrastructure and landscape will be built with the unique ecological condition of Mumbai in mind.

 Godrej Headquarters is the first piece of the master plan development. The celebration of water is the central idea for the landscape spaces which weave throughout the building. Integrated water systems move through the project’s tree swales and green roofs that collect, clean and recycle the water. This water is then used for irrigating the plantings and replenishing the Water Gardens. The landscape enters the project through interior lobbies and atriums. Native water gardens frame the headquarters. Bamboo fills the atrium with veil like planting to the skylights. Terrace gardens define the façade and create lushly planted spaces within the building. All plantings are native and adaptive species that require less water. The planting design was qualified as part of the LEED Platinum certification of this project.

Universidad Siglo 21 Campus Master Plan

2005 - Cordoba, Argentina

Universidad Siglo 21 Campus Master Plan

Cordoba, Argentina

CLIENT Universidad Siglo 21 / STATUS Constructed 2005 / DESIGN TEAM Balmori Associates

The new campus for Universidad Siglo 21 offers a modern interpretation of the traditional university campus, assuring a pedestrian environment through a linked community of open spaces that enhance and enliven the special and day to day activities of the University.

The campus consists of two main axes – east-west and north-south – expressing two different characters that complement each other. The east-west axis is an urban environment, named “El Paseo Peatonal”, and it is the main circulation spine on which the primary campus buildings are located. The north-south is a green axis, comprised of a main quadrangle, “La Plaza Mayor”, and a grand esplanade, “El Prado”, leading to a picturesque lake at the south of the campus. In addition to “El Prado”, there are two other types of green spaces: courtyards and plazas, named “Plazoletas”.

The campus buildings and open spaces are sited according to basic environmental principles. The main axis that ties together “La Plaza Mayor”, the cascading spaces of “El Prado”, and the new picturesque lake is oriented northe-south to accommodate the natural slope of the landscape and primary views towards the city center of Córdoba. The cross-axis of the pedestrian street is organized along the slope’s contours from east to west to provide ample daylight to the intimate scale of “ El Paseo Peatonal” for the major portion of the day. As well the pedestrian street links the campus entrances to the east and west, and its development is weighted in the direction of the community center to the West for optimal interaction between the community amenities and the life of the campus.

The plant palette, the paving materials, the furniture and the lighting have been carefully chosen and designed for unifying spaces and complementing the materials used in the buildings, harmonizing with the overall campus design. 

University College Dublin

2007 - Dublin, Ireland

University College Dublin

Dublin, Ireland

CLIENT University College Dublin / STATUS Competition Finalist, 2007 / DESIGN TEAM Balmori Associates / Zaha Hadid Architects 

In collaboration with Zaha Hadid, Balmori Associates submitted a master plan for the expansion of the University College in Dublin.  This design proposed hybridity as a strategy to create new building and landscape typologies.  Landscape and architecture merged to form continuous multi-layered public surfaces and green building facades.  The slopes that transitioned between the path and the buildings were exemplary of the thickening interface.  They were layered with plantings and materials and became usable and occupiable spaces that extend the landscape to a 5th facade of roof garden.  This interface also became a sustainable strategy that aimed to maximize campus biodiversity by extending existing green space and branching out to form a new campus green network.