Located in uptown Oakland, Lake Merritt Plaza is a 2,500 SF public space linking office buildings at 1999 Harrison and 1956 Webster. Adjacent to the newly renovated Snow Park, this plaza was part of a larger tenant improvement project that included the addition of bike and shower facilities, and an outdoor seating area.  

Capitalizing on roughly 10,000 SF of ground floor retail and 500,000 SF of office space at the site, Lake Merritt Plaza offers a welcome respite for tenants and patrons to enjoy mid-day breaks with panoramic views of Lake Merritt and the Oakland Hills.

Glass screens shield chilly winds with unobstructed views, while a perforated metal canopy brings the 23-story building down to pedestrian scale. Where feasible, existing granite and brick paving was repurposed throughout the plaza, with integral colored concrete used to refurbish other areas. The Lowney team also salvaged many of the site’s existing plants prior to demolition for use in a 2018 Parking Day exhibition.

Corten steel planters filled with drought resistant and shade tolerant plants were used to create a buffer from pedestrian and auto traffic along the city sidewalk interface.