Bourbon, Basketball and Bridges:
The Story of 2nd Street, Louisville, Kentucky

By John Carman, RLA, FASLA, CARMAN Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning, Civil Engineering, Louisville and Lexington ???????????(R)?????????(R)? Editor, Stephen Kelly

Bourbon, basketball and bridges, each a cultural components of Kentucky, have inspired the transformation of an urban space, part of Louisville???????????(R)?????????(R)?s east downtown revitalization. The 2nd Street streetscape project, funded by Transportation Enhancement and ARRA funds, has become a destination entertainment space in the heart of Louisville???????????(R)?????????(R)?s Yum Arena, part of the historic bourbon warehouse districts near the Ohio River and the acclaimed Waterfront Park.

???????????(R)?????????(R)?The bamboo planters, platform, lounge seating, bridge column banners and Bourbon bollards define the space and circulation, but are also ???????????(R)?????????(R)?interventions intended as follies composed to emphasize the playfulness of the urban environment,???????????(R)?????????(R)? says the landscape architect.

Design Team
The office of CARMAN, a Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky landscape architectural, urban planning and civil engineering firm, was awarded the design contract for the 2nd Street Streetscape project in November 2009 from the Louisville Downtown Development Corp. CARMAN was given the daunting task of completing the design and construction by October 10, 2010. The 10/10/10 completion date was in conjunction with the completion of the new $290 million Louisville Yum Center Arena, home of the University of Louisville Cardinal basketball.

The design team, including Leni Schwendinger Light Projects of New York City (color and lighting consultants), and HDR Engineers (electrical engineers), quickly convened with some dozen city, state and federal agencies, plus numerous adjacent property owners to determine project needs and direction.

Project Scale
A two-day design workshop and charrette gave way to the transformation of a dark, dreary remnant city space where vehicles queued to get on Interstate 64. The space was defined to the west by the arena, to the east by the historic Presbyterian Center, with the historic Clark Memorial Bridge that spans the Ohio River (constructed in 1928) overhead. The project also included 2nd Street???????????(R)?????????(R)?s north/south corridor that traversed approximately three city blocks between Washington Street (to the north) and Witherspoon Street (to the south).

For those Yum Arena employees and event attendees who brave the streets via pedal power, bike racks are provided.

Historic Significance
Historically, 2nd Street was a link in the passage of goods and materials from the Ohio River. Paddle wheelers were unloaded here and the cargos transported through the city, as the falls on the Ohio River beyond that point were impassable. Along this city route, many goods made upstream along the Ohio River and also in Louisville, including Kentucky bourbon, were stored for future transport or for aging in warehouses in the 2nd Street area, mostly along Washington Street. Many of these buildings located along ???????????(R)?????????(R)?Whiskey Row???????????(R)?????????(R)? are still standing and are being renovated as part of a comprehensive downtown Arena District revitalization. These historic buildings will be housing for some, offices for businesses, and restaurants and bars for others???????????(R)?????????(R)?all part of the new synergy.

Two ventilation pipes (foreground) from an early 20th century vault were used as whimsical objects and a reminder of the past. The railings are aluminum.

Transportation enhancement funds are often used to safely move people and vehicles through a space. Funds for the 2nd Street project have been used to safely keep people within a street corridor and allow them to experience the culture, history and activities of the redeveloped arena area.

2nd Street used to be a dark, dreary remnant urban space where vehicles queued to get on Interstate 64.

Design Approach
CARMAN???????????(R)?????????(R)?s approach was for design excellence in a short time, and to insure into sustainable design objectives were implemented into the street corridors. It was paramount the corridors not become just a linear progression, but allow and provide space for city activities and events surrounding the new Louisville Arena and the area below the historic Clark Memorial Bridge that spans the Ohio River. Hotels, entertainment centers and professional offices had to integrate smoothly into the context of 2nd, 3rd and Main streets. The understanding, planning and design of Washington Street and critical intersections at River Road had to be compatible and functional for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles. The ???????????(R)?????????(R)?form???????????(R)?????????(R)? and ???????????(R)?????????(R)?function???????????(R)?????????(R)? of these spaces was also enhanced with visual amenities. The visual magnetism of the landscape objects, colors and lighting are destination beacons to the thousands of event visitors to the area.

The complexity of influences and systems of 2nd and Washington streets inspired the vision of CARMAN???????????(R)?????????(R)?s design for a unique urbanscape. The dynamic nature of the space is intended to accommodate both large crowds and individuals, natural and synthetic spaces and the history and future of this metropolitan setting.

Design Elements
CARMAN???????????(R)?????????(R)?s role as landscape architects and engineers was to reveal and emphasize the richly layered landscape of 2nd and Washington streets. The unifying elements for the design are the prevalent bridge columns and the juxtaposition of grids expressed in downtown Louisville. From these organizing patterns emerge spaces and circulation corridors to accommodate a variety of large and small events, users and seasons. The design promotes opportunities for users of the 2nd Street area to observe, gather, converse, celebrate, contemplate, circulate and relax.

The platform, lounge seating, Bourbon bollards and bamboo planters define the space and circulation, but are also interventions intended as follies composed to emphasize the playfulness of the urban environment. These ???????????(R)?????????(R)?rooms???????????(R)?????????(R)? are enhanced with playful materials that are functional for use by thousands of event participants using the space for entertainment, gathering and access to the arena.

This view shows landscape treatments near the new floodwall and adjacent to the existing Presbyterian parking garage. Turf was installed from ornamental tall fescue sod rolls. The trees here are ???????????(R)?????????(R)?Autumn Brilliant???????????(R)?????????(R)? serviceberry.

Durable, Sustainable Materials
Landscape materials help reveal the history of the area. The connection to the river has been celebrated at 2nd Street with a replication of the river???????????(R)?????????(R)?s iconic mooring piers. These piers became street signs and also three-dimensional, defining elements for the Bourbon rooms on Washington Street. Bourbon bollards have been used as interpretive elements with historic distillery barrelheads mounted on the faces and used for interpretive panels that reveal the history of Bourbon in the Louisville area. Archival images are placed on resin panels along 2nd Street that reflect the distilling and warehousing of bourbon. These Bourbon banners are mounted on structural steel frames that replicate the historic bridge structure above.

The use of bamboo, a cold tolerant variety, in radial seating walls, is symbolic of the native cane found along waterways and fencerows throughout Kentucky.

Historic granite curbing from the 19th century streets has been reutilized in walkways as visual clues to the original street alignments.

A discovered ???????????(R)?????????(R)?relic???????????(R)?????????(R)? found during construction???????????(R)?????????(R)?ventilation pipes from an early 20th century vault???????????(R)?????????(R)?were used as a whimsical object in the landscape and a reminder of the past.

Hardscapes
The 2nd Street project, including Washington Street, was designed to accommodate large numbers of people, thus specified materials are durable and sustainable. Brick and concrete are the prevailing hardscape, although patterns, textures and colors have been used to enhance the surfaces for gathering, performing and traveling. A historic concrete mix that gives a texture with a warmer color has been used throughout for all paved surfaces. Brick bands in the pavements provide a rhythmic pattern, extending the full width of the street corridor and are reflective of the bridge structure above. The materials used in the paved areas, landscape objects such as the seat walls and seating ottomans, were selected to withstand the multitudes that will use the space, plus hold up under the utilitarian maintenance and wash downs by the city and arena. Colors were introduced into the hardscape with the exterior use of terrazzo for pavement accents, ceramic tile for wall accents and brick pavement bands to complement the historic brick warehouses and offices.

Lighting Patterns
The lighting scheme developed for the project is used to provide subtle accent and direct energy to the project. The lighting patterns for the historic bridge are reflective of the massive, muscular structure of the underside of the bridge. The lighting colors were developed in conjunction with the new bridge color (FHWA cream). The bridge color alone has transformed the daytime appearance of the space, while the lighting patterns have enlivened the area below the bridge with complementary red and amber hues. The lighting patterns are revealed in both static and dynamic conditions with programmed sequences designed for special events and hourly ???????????(R)?????????(R)?reminders???????????(R)?????????(R)? of the space.

The fluorescent lighting used to complement the structure of the bridge is further enhanced with flashing beacons that are particularly dynamic at a distance. The lighting also provides an additional entertainment feature to the bridge and the space below.

Plantings
Landscape plantings were used for various purposes in the streetscape scheme. Plantings near the intersection of 2nd Street and Witherspoon are more intense, the massings buffering the maintenance areas of the voluminous Yum Center Arena, but also extending the expansive lawn area in front of the historic Presbyterian Center. Plantings have been placed in bands reflective of the geometric structural presence of the Clark Memorial Bridge. Plant materials have been used in conjunction with geometrically shaped, sharp-edged berms that bring relief to the hardscape areas.

The bamboo massings in the radial planter/seat walls provide a verticality to this nontraditional streetscape.

Versatility of the Space
While 2nd Street is still used for traffic during the day, it is no longer a foreboding space. This versatile, compact streetscape has proved successful in its short history for year round activities in Louisville???????????(R)?????????(R)?s downtown and waterfront. Not only has the space been transformed into a dynamic urbanscape, the 2nd Street area has become a fusion of many important cultural, recreational and economic layers for the community.

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2nd Street Streetscape Project

An Urban Infill Street Corridor Project Funded by FHWA Transportation Enhancement Funds, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funds & Louisville Metro Funds

Steve Beshear, Governor
Commonwealth of Kentucky

Mike Hancock, Secretary
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet

Jerry Abramson, Mayor
Louisville Metro Government

Bruce Traughber, Director
Louisville Metro Economic Development Department

Alan DeLisle, Executive Director
Downtown Development Corporation

Project Design Consultants
CARMAN

Landscape Architects/Civil Engineers
HDR

Electrical Engineers
Slesser Engineering

Lighting and Color Consultants
Leni Schwendinger Light Projects

Structural Engineers

Contractor
MAC Construction and Excavating, Inc.

Project Dedication
October 2010

Vendors
Resin Panels: 3form
Benches: Landscape Forms
Trash Receptacles: Belson
Bicycle Racks: Landscape Forms
Lights: Se???????????(R)?????????(R)?lux, Louis Poulson, Insight Lighting, Hydrel, Lightwild, AE&T
Brick Pavers: Belden