Louisville has a plaza on top of a car park. Now it wants to turn it into a park

Louisville's Belvedere looks like a park by the river. Much of its ground is actually the roof of downtown's largest car park, beside and above infrastructure shaped by Interstate 64.

The platform opened in 1973 for concerts, festivals and views over the Ohio River. Half a century later, its concrete, waterproofing, access and public spaces require major renewal.

The city commissioned Heatherwick Studio, K. Norman Berry Associates Architects and local teams to rethink roughly 5.5 acres. New images show a continuous landscape, curving pavilions and routes intended to reconnect downtown with the waterfront.

Planting a park over a car park is not the same as planting on natural ground. Every tree needs soil, water and room for roots; every additional metre adds weight to an inherited structure, especially when saturated after a storm.

The garage below must continue serving events and cultural venues. Its repair shapes construction phases, budget, ventilation, safety and the location of every heavy element placed above.

The connection to the river will be decisive. An elevated plaza can offer excellent views while remaining difficult to reach. Slopes, crossings, signs and step-free continuity matter more than the aerial image.

Everyday use is the other test. Comfortable seating, real shade, water, toilets, play and direct routes usually create more public life than a calendar of major events.

i

i

i

i

←01 / 04→

Official information says garage work may begin in autumn 2026. That is not yet a firm date for the complete park. Funding, public access, sponsorship and closures will need continued scrutiny.

The fact is that Louisville must repair the car park and has advanced a proposal to turn its roof into a riverfront park. The editorial reading will be possible when technical design shows how much soil, shade and public use survive the structural constraints.

i