The Green Building in the heart of the East Market Street gallery corridor isn’t just a catchy name to describe the sustainable architecture of the potentially LEED Platinum structure. In the back courtyard of The Green Building, a plain painted block wall doesn’t look like much today, but eventually, it will be transformed into a “green wall” overflowing with plants. You may have heard of a green roof, like the one just installed at the Metro Development Center on Fifth Street, but these plants will literally be growing from the walls… intentionally. Louisville has seen many of examples of unintended green walls over the years, but this will be the first installation of a green wall in the city.
Green walls or living walls add significantly to the sustainability of a building, potentially providing enhanced thermal and acoustical insulation, shelter from destructive UV rays, reduce the urban heat island effect, absorb rainwater runoff, and provide a habitat for local wildlife. Not to mention they can be extremely beautiful. Below is an example of a complete “living facade” at the Quai Branly Museum in Paris. The museum was designed by Jean Nouvel, but the green wall was the work of Patrick Blanc, the world’s preeminent green wall artist.
While the wall likely won’t be installed until warmer weather arrives, the project is an exciting one and proves Louisville, and especially Gill Holland, mastermind behind The Green Building, is serious about sustainable architecture. We’re looking forward to see this one progress.
Here’s a really strange comic book released in 1972 by the Highway Safety Division of Virginia meant to teach bike safety to children. Called Danny and the Demoncycle, the comic follows a devilish child out to wreak havoc on the world. After a particularly bad crash, the delusional Danny has an encounter with Satan who sends him off on a Demoncycle to scare some sense into the kid. Check out the entire adventure at the Comics with Problems site. (via Boing Boing)
We added a bunch of links to the right hand side of the page today, many bicycle-related. Don’t forget to tell us of notable sites or neighborhood sightings at tips@brokensidewalk.com.
The ZirMed Towers aren’t planned to open until this summer, but considerable progress is being made towards completing the building. The glass curtain wall is set to be finished by the end of February and, once the building is water-tight, interior spaces can be fit up for the mixed-use project. The first floors of offices could be open as soon as late March or April. With the building currently showing several level of completeness, we went inside the structure to check out the views from the top level penthouse and see just what’s in store for the building and the surrounding Glassworks area.
We luckily made it through just before Ice Storm 2009 rolled through town and we snapped quite a few photos. Leading the tour, Ken Brown of City Properties Group helped portray an image of what the finished product might look like. Starting at the top penthouse level stunned us the panoramic views and offered a bird’s eye view of surrounding blocks and what might be in store for future development.
The rest of the block on which the ZirMed Towers will be developed incrementally after the towers are complete. Initial plans call for a landscaped courtyard at the interior of the block, sidewalk retail along Market Street and a 285-car parking garage. Tentative plans call for another tower at the opposite corner of the block that could potentially house a hotel. Ken Brown notes that City Properties Group, led by Bill Weyland, keeps it’s plans flexible and able to respond to changing market conditions, so the master plan for the block is still a work in progress. The real estate group has amassed a substantial amount of property in the Glassworks District, most of it surface level parking lots, and plans to eventually transform it all with future development.
In time, City Properties Group plans an expansive and vibrant neighborhood stretching south along Ninth Street that will significantly enlarge the existing Glassworks district. Redeveloping a district is a challenge Ken likens to a game of “urban chess.” A small one-story building on the corner of Market and 8th Streets will eventually be torn down, but finding homes for existing tenants and shifting spaces around is a time-consuming process.
Looking down from the Penthouse roof terrace, it’s hard to imagine a sea of cars suddenly transformed into a dynamic urban environment, but looking beyond at the rest of the city, we are easily distracted. Check out the rest after the click below.
We’re going to tell the ZirMed Tower story in reverse order; we’ll save the great views for last. Currently, weather-proofing the building is taking first priority. Once all the glass is on, the building will be largely complete on the exterior. The concrete on the structure will be left exposed and infill panels will be made to resemble concrete. We expect a large ZirMed logo to be glowing at the top, too.
Construction on the outside requires a certain degree of warmth and must be dry, so we doubt much work got done last week (as was the case with most construction sites in town), but scaffolding covered in plastic helps crews stay ahead of the weather. The exterior of the building undulates orthogonally to differentiate the two towers and enhance the views from inside. Â More corners are always better, especially in a commercial project. Everyone wants that corner office view.
Removing the tower crane foundation
On what will eventually be a landscaped plaza, the foundations for the tower crane were being reduced to rubble. The main entrance to the building, seen below, will be from the plaza.
Main entrance to the ZirMed Towers
Office space inside the ZirMed Gateway Towers
Retail space inside the ZirMed Gateway Towers
Inside the ZirMed Gateway Towers
Once inside, a common lobby will link elevators and retail space.
Inside the lobby, a vast open space on the northwest corner of the building could one day house a bar or restaurant. The other half of the ground floor will house another retail or commercial use and will feature a large building kitchen. As we said before, Jarfi’s Restaurant is considering locating its catering business in this space.
The next six levels of the building will houses offices for the ZirMed Corporation. Many have already been weatherproofed and are awaiting interior fit-up. A raised floor system will allow easy wiring for an open office layout and the concrete ceilings are expected to be left exposed to create a contrasting industrial feel in the finished offices.
Above the offices are two levels of condos which are currently being roughed-in. Ken Brown explains that City Properties Group is not currently marketing the condos and expects the units to sell themselves with their expansive views and balconies. Six units per floor are planned, but individual units won’t be finished until much later to keep the layout flexible for prospective buyers. This will allow a potential buyer to select two unit spaces to combine into one larger condo and avoids construction backtracking when there are changes. Below are a couple more photos of the condo floors under construction.
Space for future condos
Corporate entertaining space and roof deck
Inside the ZirMed Gateway Towers
The tenth floor of the ZirMed Towers will house two executive penthouses and a corporate entertainment suite for ZirMed complete with its own roof terrace. The wrap-around outdoor space will feature glass handrails, a landscaped perimeter, and possibly an infinity-pool reflecting Louisville’s skyline. We expect some of the best corporate parties in town will be held in this space when the building is complete.
The top floor of the ZirMed Towers will be occupied with a single penthouse condo already set aside for a ZirMed executive. The space features amazing 360 degree views of the surrounding city, tall ceilings that easily push 20 feet and a vast terrace the size of a decent sized apartment. Clerestory lights around the raised ceiling’s perimeter will let in even more natural light.
But don’t forget the views. We feel they speak for themselves, and you know what the Louisville skyline looks like, so were going to sit back and let you enjoy the scenery.
View from the ZirMed Towers. (Branden Klayko / Broken Sidewalk)
View from the ZirMed Gateway Towers
View from the ZirMed Gateway Towers
View from the ZirMed Gateway Towers
View from the ZirMed Gateway Towers
View from the ZirMed Gateway Towers
View from the ZirMed Gateway Towers
View from the ZirMed Gateway Towers
View from the ZirMed Gateway Towers
View from the ZirMed Gateway Towers
View from the ZirMed Gateway Towers
Pretty impressive, right? Below is the rest of the block slated for redevelopment. The old jail building that once housed the City Properties Group offices and is full of more condos is on the right hand side. As the rest of the Glassworks District continues to be built, the views from the ZirMed Towers can only improve.
Future expansion of the Glassworks district. (Branden Klayko / Broken Sidewalk)
A historic three-story brick building in Butchertown will soon be home to the Kentucky Brew Company My Old Kentucky Homebrew. The new 1,100 square foot store won’t be making their own beer or wine, but hopes to help local individuals and entrepreneurs with their own home-brewing endeavors. Equipment for making your own beer and wine will be sold and information on brewing available. The store will also sell grains, hops, yeast and malt extract for use in the brewing process.
Start-up costs were financed in part from a $40,000 small-business loan for the city. The lease for the space on the corner of Story Avenue and Adams Street was signed today and the My Old Kentucky Homebrew company hopes to open by mid-March. Construction on the interior space is underway, so you better plant your grapes this year to get started making your own wine and beer soon.
The rest of the building is still for lease as commercial space and is divided into several office suites on all three floors. Another 500 square feet of office space is available on the ground floor as well as above the new retail spot.
On Friday, the Speed Museum announced the selection of wHY Architecture for the upcoming expansion of the museum. The Los Angeles, California–based architects led by Kulapat Yantrasast, Yo Hakomori, and Richard Stoner, beat out seven other internationally renowned architects from around the world. The Museum originally planned to narrow the list to three last December, but found wHY Architecture to be the perfect match for the project. Plans call for the expansion project to start construction next year in 2010 with an anticipated grand opening in 2012. We spoke with Kulapat Yantrasast over the weekend to discern the firm’s design approach and philosophy and how it might impact the Speed Museum project.
Art Bridge over the Los Angeles River. (courtesy wHY Architects)
The Speed Museum expansion presents a unique set of challenges that will require a creative solution. Situated on the edge of the University of Louisville’s Belknap Campus, the site is extremely constricted. The original 1927 Beaux-Arts museum designed by notable local architect Arthur Loomis has undergone a series of hodge-podge modern renovations over the years that have served to confuse the Museum’s functionality. The grand front doors have been sealed and the main entrance is situated in the rear of the building behind a low, nondescript glass door. The interior flow and circulation of the museum has also been compromised and overcrowding has forced interior spaces to mix use in inappropriate ways. Further, the Museum must negotiate the transition between the University campus setting, the city and street, and an Olmsted park.
Kulapat explained that museums across the world are stuck with modern additions that don’t enhance the original, historic structures. The temptation is to take the easy road and add on without relating back, effectively forming an architectural tumor. He hopes the new expansion will integrate the Museum into a single, cohesive whole. wHY Architects will not haphazardly tear down older additions, but adopts a self described “architectural acupuncture” that surgically inserts itself into its context. To accomplish this, the design team will study the critical areas of the museum including circulation and public space to create a unique solution for a 21st century museum.
“Museums around the world have become victim of their own growth, getting bigger, fatter and congestedly unhealthy,” said Yantrasast. “A museum’s growth should not mean merely adding new wings or new limbs to the old museum body. Museum expansion or development should be like acupuncture architecture; precise intervention or transformation strategically focused towards critical areas to regain the sense of clarity to the overall organization.”
Museum Director Charles Venable has complete faith in wHY Architecture’s ability to pull off a strong project, and the firm already has the credentials for success. Currently, the firm is working with Renzo Piano on the soon-to-open expansion of the Modern Wing at the Art Institute of Chicago. Kulapat Yantrasast worked with Pritzker Prize–winning architect Tadao Ando on the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, one of the preeminent examples of modern architecture in the country. Ando is known for his extreme attention to detail with simple forms and materials. Expertly utilizing light to emphasize architecture, his projects reveal a timeless beauty.
This sensibility is apparent in Kulapat’s work as well. The recently opened Grand Rapids Art Museum achieves an austere grandeur reflected in its simple yet classic forms and clean lines. Kulapat acknowledged this is one of the challenges of any museum expansion. It’s easy to design a building celebrating one’s own personal genius, but wHY Architects choose not to be distracting to the original structures or art housed inside. While a museum may be a work of art, it’s ultimate function is to house other works of art. A designer must know his or her role as architect and learn an artist’s humility. The goal is balance. The architect must must not distract from the art yet must remain true to his or her own design goals. Being respectful does not mean compromising personal talent.
Grand Rapids Art Museum. (courtesy wHY Architects)
wHY Architects plans to open the Speed Museum up to its surroundings as a setting for encounters between people, art, and nature. To accomplish this, Kulapat describes a process of facade activation that will engage the unique site characteristics. Shipp Street running through the campus must respond to student foot traffic while the front of the Museum along Second and Third Streets must relate to the urban dynamic and park beyond. Landscape will play a key role in these relationships, and the firm is currently narrowing down a list of more than 20 landscape architects to work on the project.
The Speed Museum also hopes to tap into wHY Architecture’s expertise in sustainable museum design. Their Grand Rapids Art Museum was awarded Gold level LEED certification, a difficult task for any building type, but especially for museums. The Speed Museum hopes to also serve as a ‘green’ model for the local community. Kulapat Yantrasast says a sustainable museum is inherently full of challenges.
A museum is similar to a hospital in terms of interior climate control requirements. Many of the traditional LEED requirements like natural ventilation cannot be applied to an art museum as it would damage the artwork inside. Because of this, museums from the outset use more energy than other buildings. wHY Architects will implement site placement and orientation strategies to harness the sun in keeping the building energy efficient. Recycled and local materials will also play a key role in the design. One ongoing project in Los Angeles takes this notion to extremes. The Art Bridge over the Los Angeles River (pictured above) will be built of trash and debris pulled from the river itself. Kulapat also hopes to implement innovative water recycling techniques that be integrated into the landscape.
The expansion project will be moving ahead despite economic downturns as the Speed Museum has recently secured enough donations to allow for the project to move forward. No budget has been released for the project yet, but a design and cost should be released later this year. With a commitment to expansion and a projected opening date three years away, the Speed Museum expansion is sure to transform not only the art world in Louisville but the surrounding neighborhoods and the image of the city itself.
Proposed High Speed Rail Network (Diagram by the Transport Politic)
Proposed High Speed Rail Network. (Courtesy Transport Politic)
Transport Politic blog has put together a proposal for a National High Speed Rail (HSR) network no less ambitious than the Interstate highway system. Louisville finds itself situated along the path of the HSR corridor connecting Chicago with Atlanta, and, under the plan, could see trains that travel at speeds up to 220 miles per hour. Imagine taking a day trip to Chicago and arriving in just over an hour?
The Shelby Street Apartments on the corner of Shelby and East Broadway was one of three projects recently declared a New Landmark by the Louisville Historical League. The League issues a New Landmark Award when it determines a building fits contextually with its neighborhood. In this case, the three-story, red brick building blends into the streetscape of Phoenix Hill matching materials, style, and height with surrounding structures.
