Tunica River Park is an awesome and large park with 130 acres in size. This park is built to introduce the Mississippi River to the people around the city of Tunica. The city starts to expand the recreational portfolio by developing a new project with SWA as a designer that includes a concert hall, tennis center, a gold center, airport expansion, and also the Tunica RiverPark and Museum.
Main Idea
The main idea of Tunica River Park is about creating a place that can invite a lot of visitors to learn, experience, and also see the Mississippi River and the habitats around it. With the awesome view of the river, this site will be perfect for everyone who needs a fresh time with nature.
Human and River
SWA as a designer for Tunica River Park provides an awesome design and land planning for the museum and park. They create an interactive experience for the visitors to learn about riparian ecology and also the connection of human and river.
Feasibility Studies
Before the project is completed, there are three different locations that become the candidate for this project. Through some feasibility studies, this final location has been chosen based on the visibility and access to the river, the natural system existence, and also the distance of navigation channel for riverboat rides.
Environmental Alteration
The final site of Tunica River Park doesn’t have a too much environmental alteration, considering the previous ecological disturbance on it. The museum and park offer an interesting interaction with the water on some different levels. The visitors can have a good traveling with different ecosystems along the park road and finally arrive at the Museum.
What’s There?
There a lot of things that visitors can feel and see on this awesome park. There, they will be introduced to the system found in the park and also the nature trail system. There is also an exhibit about culture, history and also an economy of the region. This exhibit focuses on the levee system, the wildlife, and the relationship between the river too.
At the outside of the park, the visitors can feel the beautiful nature of water’s edge at the Mississippi River Plaza complete with the scenic look of the Riverfront Promenade. The water’s edge gives another different experience in learning about a river and the ecosystem.
Tunica Queen
Tunica Queen is a name od a riverboat at the Mississippi River at the Tunica River Park. This riverboat provides the best excursions for the visitors along the river corridor. They can feel a real journey to explore this big river.
Meander Garden
At the dry land, there is a cool garden called Meander Garden. This garden shows the dynamics of the flooding in the environment that changes. This kind of change also shows the impact of the manmade systems and natural systems.
The garden provides a beautiful access to the woodland trail system along the forest and the river. It describes the dynamic and important relationship between ecosystems and river which are adapted to the soil deposition and periodic flooding.
Challenge
The sail form of the buildings in Tunica River Park mimics the ship’s prow and becomes a strong focal point that can be seen from all areas in the park. The big challenge for SWA to design this park is creating the best design for a flooding area but also minimize the disturbance from the site construction.
The whole design of this park has a minimal impact on the local ecological processes. The museum becomes the most favorite place to be visited and the riverboat business has been successful too. The Tunica RiverPark and Museum offers not only a unique destination but also a good understanding of the relationship between human and the river.
Via swagroup
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