David Mohney talks with Cities x Design about The Curry Stone Design Prize for socially relevant design. He also touches on the architectural history of Louisville and the important role designers play in local communities.

Augusta and Gill Holland wanted something innovative and ambitious for Louisville so they took a 110 year-old masonry structure in the heart of the city’s arts district and decided to turn it into the first commercial building with a LEED platinum certification.

The Green Building is a model of architectural preservation with a modern core: an authentic masonry structure, natural lighting, eco-friendly materials, renewable energy systems, solar panels, geothermal wells and most original of all, a recycled denim insulation. This marvel of green architecture was conceived by Doug Pierson from FER Studios.

With 15,000 square foot of mixed-use space, the building houses a restaurant that serves food from local farms (732 Social), an art gallery, event and office spaces. It also boasts an indoor-outdoor courtyard, an urban farm, and a green wall vertical garden.

Kulapat Yantrasast of wHY Architecture, talks to Cities x Design about the intricacies of museum design. With the Speed Art Museum of Louisville, Kentucky as the backdrop, he explains how “acupuncture architecture” is going to transform the museum from an historic temple into a vibrant center for the creative community.

Steve Wilson, Founder, 21c Museum Hotel, talks to Cities x Design about philanthropy, collecting art, regenerating a city center and why he chose to open an art hotel in Louisville, Kentucky.

Louisville was not part of the original Cities x Design itinerary but the 21c Museum Hotel changed the course of our trip. 21c is not only the cool creative magnet of downtown Louisville, it is also the first and only American museum dedicated to 21st century art.

Founded by art and design collectors Steve Wilson and Laura Lee Brown, the 21c was conceived as a place where people can experience thought-provoking art. The private collection owned by the couple is internally managed by an in-house curator and rotates regularly.

The unique museum-hotel combination introduces new crowds to the world of international contemporary art. According to Steve Wilson, the local population’s response to 21c has been very positive. As a result Louisville’s Main Street is now transitioning toward a new era rooted in art, design and creativity.

The latest project to date is Museum Plaza, across the street from 21c Museum, and another initiative of the Brown-Wilson duo. Described as a “city within a city”, Museum Plaza is an ambitious architectural project that encompasses 1.5 million square feet of multi-purpose space in multiple towers. It will blend art with retail, residential, office and educational spaces in order to strengthen the Main Street Historic District and eventually turn it into an exceptional destination in the region.

Louisville’s French ancestry shows in its “savoir-vivre”: art, good food, quality drinks and beautiful countryside are part of the local lifestyle. The city takes pride in its traditions and is also very skilled at creating new variations of its Southern culture (like the Green Building and 732 Social). This perfect balance between authenticity and open-mindedness left us with a strong impression. We can’t wait to see what Louisville tries next.

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Keywords – Historic, Growth, Bluegrass, Manufacturing, Visionary, Bourbon

Population: 436,684
Founded: 1775
Nicknames: Horse Capital of the World, Athens of the West

Tourism / Place branding / Historic Landmarks

• Bondurant Pharmacy
• Gratz Park Historic District
• Kentucky Horse Park
• Ashland: The Henry Clay Estate
• Lexington Public Library
• 21c Museum Hotel (Louisville)

Urban development

• The Henderson Project* – “This project is about a small town in America trying to stem the flow of its young people from not returning to their hometown after college. We want to enable them to design their future so they feel invested in it. This is a problem throughout our country and we hope we can make a difference and provide a model for other communities to explore with their youth.” –Mark Bethel

Design / Craft businesses

• William B Cook (Wood – Craft)
• The Weavery
• Jan Peters (Jewelry)
• Parenthetic (Louisville)
• Powerhouse Factories (Newport)

Institutions / Organizations

• Southern Artistry
• Bourbon Heritage Center (Bardstown)

Art and Design Schools

• University of Kentucky Lexington – College of Design
• Dept of Historic Preservation

Articles / Blogs / Other

• On Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail
• 36 Hours in Louisville