China Basin Park: A New Public Realm
Honor Award /
General Design
San Francisco, CA
Foregrounding the living systems of the Bay, China Basin Park is a 5-acre waterfront park and cultural centerpiece of the Mission Rock neighborhood—a new mixed-use community across McCovey Cove from Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants.
©Ty Cole
With dramatic views, diverse amenities, and strong connections to the wider community, China Basin Park is an iconic public space that forms the heart of the Mission Rock neighborhood.
Left: SCAPE; Right: Ty Cole
China Basin Park creates a network of connections, linking Mission Rock with the region. A key portion of the San Francisco Bay Trail runs directly through the park, connecting the southeastern waterfront to a network of trails and open spaces.
©Jason O’Rear
Inspired by ecosystems of the Bay Area, each piece of the park magnifies San Francisco’s environs: cypress trees that reference the bay area headlands, immersive wetlands, and rocky beaches that recall the region’s diverse coastline.
©Jason O’Rear
China Basin Park is a symbol of optimism and post-pandemic recovery for San Francisco and has been embraced as a community hub.
©Ty Cole
Destinations in the park are within a five-acre footprint—all supercharged by the Bay Trail that loops them altogether. The Bay Trail links the waterfront to the region while also serving as the front line against sea level rise.
©Jason O’Rear
Varying elevations within the China Basin Park function as resilient infrastructure. The park simultaneously slopes down to the water, enhancing the connection to McCovey Cove, while lifting up to protect from sea level rise and coastal surges.
©SCAPE
An 11,000-square-foot immersive stormwater garden filters, conveys, and treats runoff from the entire development, incorporating green infrastructure as a publicly accessible feature through a series of elevated board walks crossing the garden.
©Jason O’Rear
Distinct areas throughout the park come together to create one iconic urban space. The park offers diverse amenities such as sunny open plazas, active Stadium Seats, and Shoreline Sands that celebrate the city’s unique relationship with the bay.
©SCAPE
The Gathering Grove lit by catenary lights is an ideal area for cultural events, fitness classes, music, art fairs, and other programs. Sculptural, native Arbutus trees in the grove mitigate wind impacts along the western half of the park.
©Ty Cole
The park welcomes visitors on sunny afternoons to lie on the Great Lawn, on quiet mornings to experience intertidal ecology and birdwatching, and on game days when the park transforms into an extension of the San Francisco Giants ballpark.
©Ty Cole
Inspired by the local beaches of San Francsico, the Shoreline Sands bring visitors closer to the waterfront and provide a space for gathering, relaxation, and recreation.
©Jason O’Rear
Framing views of the water, ballpark, skyline, and Bay Bridge, the Great Lawn provides a flexible space for play, gathering, picnicking, and reflection. Gradually sloping down to the water, it creates a natural amphitheater for movie nights and other events.
©Ty Cole
Inspired by terraced seating at Oracle Park, the Stadium Seats allow groups to gather and watch the bustle of the ballpark across McCovey Cove. The seats are accessed from pathways at the top of the lawn and Bay Trail.
©Ty Cole
A project 10 years in the making, China Basin Park is a new public realm that embodies all Mission Rock stands for: fostering an inclusive community, building resiliently, and creating an iconic destination for the city.
©Jason O’Rear; Before: Mission Rock Partners
Client
Mission Rock Partners (San Francisco Giants, Tishman Speyer, Port of San Francisco)
Project Team
Miller Company
Pine & Swallow
Pannu Larsen McCartney
BKF Engineers
Urban Design Consulting Engineers
Langan
Brookwater
Peterson Associated Engineers
Webcor
PritchardPeck Lighting
Project Statement
China Basin Park is a 5-acre waterfront park and cultural centerpiece of San Francisco’s new Mission Rock neighborhood. The mixed-use community sits just across McCovey Cove from Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. Each piece of China Basin Park magnifies local environs—the region’s headlands, coastal edges, and wetland ecologies are echoed throughout the design. The park offers diverse amenities: a sculpted lawn frames views of the San Francisco Bay to the east, a Central Plaza greets pedestrians from the south, a shady grove meets the more intimate scale of the basin to the west, and a stepped urban amphitheater faces the San Francisco Giants ballpark to the north. Designed to reduce risk from sea level rise and storm events, the park anticipates threats of climate change while connecting visitors to the water, providing expansive views, and creating an iconic destination for San Francisco.
Project Description
Foregrounding the living systems of the Bay, China Basin Park is a 5-acre waterfront park designed and built as the heart of Mission Rock, a new mixed-use neighborhood across from Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. With dramatic views, diverse amenities, and strong connections to the wider community, China Basin Park is a symbol of optimism for the city. The park welcomes visitors on quiet mornings to experience intertidal ecology and birdwatching, as well as lively game days when it transforms into an extension of the San Francisco Giants ballpark. Mission Rock was developed with strong values in mind: to foster an inclusive community, build resiliently, and create an iconic destination for San Francisco. As the anchor of the neighborhood, China Basin Park embodies this mission.
Each piece of the park magnifies San Francisco’s environs, forming distinct spaces within the park that come together as an iconic urban public space. At its western entrance, the park opens up to the Gathering Grove, shaded by native Arbutus trees and lit by catenary lights. The Gathering Grove is an ideal area for cultural events, fitness classes, music, art fairs, and other programs. Its trees also mitigate wind impacts along the western half of the park.
Just past the Grove, the Central Plaza captures the energy of the park, Mission Rock neighborhood, and surrounding communities. It features an all-gender restroom integrated into the landscape. To the north, the Shoreline Sands bring visitors closer to the waterfront. Inspired by textures of local beaches, the area features branches of reclaimed eucalyptus wood as interactive seating. Further east, with views of Oracle Park and the Shoreline Sands, the Stadium Seats allow groups to gather and watch the bustle of Oracle Park across McCovey Cove. The seats borrow the terraced form from the seating at the ballpark.
Framing views of the water, ballpark, skyline, and Bay Bridge, the Great Lawn offers one-acre of flexibly programmed space for play, gathering, picnicking, and reflection. Sculpted to create the illusion of undulating green space spilling into the water, the lawn is surrounded by Monterey cypress trees, reminiscent of the region’s iconic headland landscapes.
