“Turning Large Places into Great Spaces"
Louisville Arena Urban Design Program
Click here to learn about the purpose of the arena urban design initiative: "Turning Large Spaces Into Great Places"
Click here to read the Design Forum opening comments of Alex Krieger, Professor of Urban Design, Harvard University: The Urban Design Issues of the new Louisville Arena
The Louisville Arena will be a prominent landmark on the downtown skyline – for event goers and those who work, live and play downtown. Have you ever wondered...
- How the arena’s design might reflect our community’s character and aspirations for the future?
- How the arena can best take advantage of its downtown site?
- How to ensure that the arena is a vibrant and living part of downtown even when it is not hosting an event?
- How can the arena best connect to other downtown destinations to maximize its positive impact on all of downtown Louisville?
The Downtown Development Corporation, on behalf of the Louisville Arena Authority, has completed the development of a set of urban design guidelines that will help shape the design of the new Louisville Arena and highlight ways to connect it the fabric of downtown Louisville. The report is the result of a three month effort that included reviewing and visiting a number of other downtown arena projects, an intensive public input process, and analysis of the arena’s potential impacts led by a Alex Krieger, the nationally-recognized Professor of Urban Design at Harvard University. The urban design guidelines will provide a blueprint for its exterior look and insure that it will maximize its impact on downtown Louisville was transmitted today to the Louisville Arena Authority by the Downtown Development Corporation. A key element of this work was a two-day public forum on November 16th and 17th: "Turning Large Spaces Into Great Places", designed to discuss these issues and provide an opportunity for input from the public.
The program concluded that the arena must be designed in a manner that resonates with the entire community, not just those who are attending events inside. It must be a building that is active and part of the downtown fabric 365 days a year. While the report provides guidance on ways to make the arena a new landmark for the community, it specifies that it is equally important for the building to provide a comfortable pedestrian-scale. If the arena follows these urban design guidelines, the arena can encourage strong interaction between the arena and nearby downtown activity generators, such as Waterfront Park, Fourth Street Live, East and West Main Street, and the proposed Museum Plaza project. The report stated that the overwhelming response by the public was that the arena could have tremendous positive benefits to downtown, but that elements such as the flood walls, parking and loading access must not become barriers to the pedestrian and compromise pedestrian movement.
“The Louisville Arena Authority fully believes that these are important issues, “ stated Jim Host, the Authority’s Chairman, “ and we intend to make sure that they are given the highest priority. We believe that the Louisville Arena will be the finest such arena in the nation; the finest to watch a game or attend an event, and also the finest example of being fully integrated with the surrounding downtown environment. We are very appreciative of the Downtown Development Corporation’s help in putting this together. They know about how to make downtown’s revitalization work, and we want this arena to become a major asset in its continued growth.”
Mary Griffith, Chairman of the Downtown Development Corporation, indicated that this effort has been extremely useful in focusing attention on the relationship between the Arena and other components of downtown. “We visited a number of cities where this relationship was very carefully cultivated from the beginning of their arena projects, as well as others that were more focused internally on the arena or its iconic architecture only. Clearly the results were quite different. The public input we received in Louisville showed great excitement about the potential opportunities that the arena site presents, and they were resolute in the desire that these opportunities be maximized. We are very pleased by the response of both the Arena Authority members and its design team to these recommendations, and look forward to working closely with them as the design moves forward.”
Mayor Abramson indicated that this was yet another example of the types of partnerships that make this project, and Louisville, unique. “Here is an opportunity to have those interested in building a great place to watch a game work cooperatively with those interested in building a great downtown. This unique partnership will guarantee that the Arena meets both of these goals. The City will work closely with the Arena Authority and the DDC to make this happen.”
In conjunction with the design of the Arena, the DDC will work on an urban design plan for the surrounding areas, to insure that the movement between the two are encouraged and supported. “As the lead designer of the Arena project, we are thrilled that the wishes and the desires of the community have been provided to us as we begin our design’” said Steven Hotujac, principal of HOK Sports. “Even more significant is to work cooperatively with the DDC and the City on issues of mutual benefit between the arena site and the surrounding urban fabric. This is a terrific program and both the Arena Authority and the DDC must be commended for this initiative. It is truly unique.”
Alex Krieger, Professor of Urban Design at Harvard University, who participated in the program, called this effort “ a very unusual and far-sighted example of a community that looks to the proposed arena as not just a big box in which to attend events, but as worthy and cherished contributor to downtown Louisville and the urban health of the community.”
For more information view the Arena Urban Design Program Executive Summary (1MB) or the Arena Urban Design Program Final Report (3.5 MB).
Provide us with your comments, suggestions related to the above questions, and issues that you believe need to be addressed by the arena designers when they begin their work over the next few months
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