Kaiser Center Located in the heart of Oakland, the Kaiser Center is an elegant landmark, originally the flagship of the shipbuilding magnate Edgar Kaiser with its curving façade facing Lake Merritt and its elaborate roof garden resting atop of the adjacent parking garage. Purchased in total by The Swig Company, the property is currently being studied for redevelopment feasibility, a plan that retains the existing Kaiser high-rise and reconfigures a portion of the garage to include two new high-rise office residential towers. The new towers would be the tallest in Oakland. The landscape strategy for the site incorporates the existing rooftop garden, making it more publicly accessible to the street and using various similar forms to create visual continuity. Furthermore, the design addresses the potential landmark quality the buildings would have for the city at large by creating bold memorable patterns in the streetscape, while preserving the precious sidewalk space for pedestrian and retail traffic. Credits Client: The Swig Company Landscape Architect: Landscape Office Ltd. Architect: Skidmore Owing & Merill, LLP. « back to portfolio index