Landscape Architecture | Broken Sidewalk

Wasteland No More: The Greening Of Waterfront Park (Phase III)

Thursday, October 23, 2008 by Broken Sidewalk.

Future Site Of Lincoln Statue

Waterfront Park has undoubtedly been a major boon to revitalizing Louisville’s urban neighborhoods, but the eastern and western phases of the park still remain divided by hundreds of feet of chain link fence as construction continues on some of the most dramatic features of the entire park system: the Big Four Bridge and the Lincoln Memorial. It’s been a long and arduous process to move from the industrial wasteland that once comprised Louisville’s waterfront to the nationally acclaimed park that exists now, but the wait has well been worth it. The final 13 acres of the 85 acre project are scheduled to be phased in over the next couple of years and will finally unite the park into one community jewel.

Masterplan for Phase III (Rendering Courtesy Waterfront Development Corporation)

We took a tour of the estimated $22 million construction site as the grass is beginning to grow and the heavy construction is starting to heat up. Peering through the fence at the park’s signature sculpted hills reveals only a portion of the inner workings of the site. The articulation of the river’s edge is far in the distance and the Lincoln Memorial is all but hidden from view. Landscape architects Hargreaves & Associates of San Francisco have shown how skillfully they can articulate space in Phase I and II of the park, and one must experience the new spaces from all angles to appreciate their full complexity. Once within the confines of the construction fence, the true intricacy of the park begins to be made apparent.

Waterfront Park Construction

Walking along the riverfront from the west, a granite amphitheater appears from behind a sculpted earthen berm. Next spring, a larger than life Abraham Lincoln will be perched atop a massive boulder intently gazing down the river. (His general glance will be fixed on the third pier of the Kennedy Bridge, we’re told.) The Lincoln Memorial has been designed to be an experiential journey past four bas reliefs depicting scenes of Lincoln’s life in Kentucky, wrapping around the gentle curve of the amphitheater until the visitor is confronted by the former president himself sculpted by renowned local artist Ed Hamilton. The surrounding berm shields the memorial from the rest of the park, essentially wrapping around the site and embracing the micro-landscape. According to the Waterfront Development Corporation, the Lincoln Memorial “teaches about his connections to Kentucky and about how, as a young man, he developed his abhorrence of slavery while standing on the banks of the Ohio River in Louisville.” The space has the potential to be a deeply moving one.

Waterfront Development Corporation (Official Site)
Hargreaves & Associates Landscape Architecture (Official Site)
Big Four Bridge Proposal By Studio Arne Quinze (Broken Sidewalk)
Happy Birthday From Under The Bridge (Broken Sidewalk)

You’ll want to click through, there are dozens of park photos just ahead (and more to read!)

University of Louisville Oval Commons Nears The Finish Line

University of Louisville Oval Commons (Rendering by Carman)

The grand renovation of the main entrance to the University of Louisville’s Belknap Campus is almost done. The most time-consuming work, especially the repaving of Third Street, is already complete, and all that remains is to finish up those fountains and landscape the thing. The project called the Oval Commons is a $1.2 million overhaul of Third Street including a new brick paving system in an argyle pattern of black and red (how appropriate). The entrance layout was redesigned to reduce the ability of cars to make illegal U-turns and slow down traffic at the pedestrian-heavy intersection. New fountains and a granite sculpture along with revamped landscaping around the entrance and throughout the Oval are also part of the overall plan. The project was designed by Rowland Design and Carman Landscape Architecture, both with Louisville offices.

The Oval Commons project began in July and was scheduled to be finished by mid-September… but the inevitable delays have pushed work back by about a month or so. The project was funded by the Kentucky Transportation Department through a federal grant intended to improve traffic flow and air quality.

Overall, the work looks great and is a huge change for the better from the University’s previous entrance. We especially appreciate the narrowing of 3rd Street, but wish it were easier to cross into Stansbury Park from the entrance which has no crosswalk, signal, or really any way of getting from the sidewalk to the street without trampling on the landscape. The brick pavers placed on Third Street were intended to calm traffic in the area to create a more pedestrian-friendly area, but they are so smooth, cars pass over them without a desirable “sound-texture” to indicate reduced speed. Perhaps a few raised pavers would help with this “rumbling” noise when driving through the area (or perhaps the state DOT doesn’t like that kinda stuff on State Highways?). A few more bollards (in the pedestrian median) would have added to a feeling of safety as well.

We love the project, though. Brick-paved streets, especially when done well, can’t be beat. They change the feeling the road, make the entire area more inviting and visually interesting, and do help to slow traffic down. The University of Louisville is planning for additional projects in the area, so hopefully similarly well-designed schemes will surface in the future.