The Landscape Architecture Bureau was asked to design a central park, two other parks, courtyards in two residential buildings and the streetscapes for a new two-million SF development in Alexandria,VA. The concept behind the overall site design was an abstraction of the rail yard which formerly occupied the site. The long since demolished locomotive turntable, once a purely functional device, was reinterpreted within the ground plane as a field which articulates connectivity andcollective engagement on an urban scale. Designing to permit the flexible use of public space was critically important in both a social and topographical sense. The central park will blend pedestrian and automotive demands, combining an unconventional, angular, curbless street with outdoor dining to provide an inclusive, animated space. LAB strove to integrate a dynamic retail edge with a flexible event space to accommodate festivals, concerts, ice skating, and a farmer’s market. Kinetic seating in the park and a water feature with continuallychanging water levels, as well as a rotating public art program, embraceplayfulness and temporality to provide a mutable, engaging place.
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