The master plan for Riverview Park envisions a new 70-acre recreational venue for Louisville that celebrates a diverse landscape along the Ohio River. As part of an initial phase of construction, this first of several park service buildings provides public restrooms, drinking fountains, and mechanical rooms for park-wide utilities that include irrigation & lighting controls.Influenced by the agrarian & river transportation history of the site, the park building vocabulary borrows from the recognizable imagery of regional tobacco barns and river barges that are frequently visible from the park, and re-imagines them as a playful park structure that is both familiar & new. This prototype structure will become part of a family of future buildings that will share similar characteristics to reinforce a cohesive visitor experience between the diverse activity zones of the park through variations in orientation, geometry and material detailing.Key project challenges include the following: 1) a building location within the 100-year river flood plain, 2) a highly public project site prone to vandalism & graffiti, 3) importance of visitor safety & security monitoring, and 4) ease of building maintenance.A simple building kit-of-parts is comprised of conventional industrial materials, including naturally rusting Cor-ten steel, galvanized steel plank grating, and sealed poured-in-place concrete. A raised wall detail at the building base allows all interior spaces to be hosed down. Perforated & louvered wall surfaces provide visual & acoustical porosity in certain building areas for public safety. Water-efficient stainless steel˜prison-grade fixtures & accessories are utilized in all restroom compartments. The 524 s.f. building has no mechanical heating or cooling and relies solely on natural cross-ventilation. Daylight filters into all interior spaces and eliminates the need for artificial lighting during daylight hours. By night, the building transforms into a colorful park lantern as seen from the surrounding paths.
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