Santana Row
client: Federal Realty Investment Trust
scope: Urban design, Landscape Architecture & Illustration
location: San Jose, CA
stage: Completed
bioregion: Mediterranean: Central California Coast

Santana Row Park is the centerpiece of Santana Row - a premier 40-acre mixed-use development in San Jose, California featuring world-class shopping and accommodations. The park along the ‘ main street’ is the development’s heart and major gathering place. Two pre-existing mature oak trees were incorporated into the park’s design. Water features and kiosks activate the park and define ‘outdoor rooms’ for various activities. There are places for sitting and relaxing, a chess competition area, and open-air cafes and restaurants. Design influences from southern Europe abound, and imported Italian and French antiquities lend a Mediterranean texture and character. Rooftop plantings on the kiosks passively cool the buildings and soften their visual impact. The park and street are designed to accomodate a biweekly farmer’s market on Wednesdays and Sundays. Another park within the development shows movies in the park during the summer months. A key feature is how the park seamlessly handles the transition form daytime to nightime uses.