Parking garages are often an afterthought for design. I am not talking about the flow of traffic, but the garish concrete structures that line many urban streets. The only famous parking structure/mixed use building that sticks out in my mind as unique is Marina City in Chicago (I like to call these buildings the corn cobs) and I don’t necessarily mean unique in a positive way.
What an intriguing design puzzle! How to design functional parking space thinking of the structure and voids with a design mind. My favorite parking structure in Charlotte happens to be located at the airport. I openly admit that I pay the $2 extra per day to park in the daily West parking garage at the Charlotte Douglas airport as opposed to parking my beloved Honda in a measly long term ocean of cars.
Charlotte/Douglas International Airport- West Parking Deck LS3P Associates & The Wilson Group
There are many creepy thoughts that seep into the mind when thinking about enclosed dimly lit parking spaces. Until recently the typical events (besides parking) that are held in the murky depths of parking garages are skateboarding get togethers. What about But a in a parking garage? Yes that is correct, weddings and yoga classes, wine tastings, bar mitzvahs, designer shops, dinner parties, etc. This parking structure even has its own website with an intriguing introduction and play on solid vs. void. Talk about designer parking! 111lincolnroad.com
1111 Lincoln Road, Miami Florida. Developer William Wennett Architects: Herzo & de Meuron
Developer and owner, Robert Wennett, is primarily a contemporary art collector. Zoning regulations pushed him into building a parking structure, but he was not going to settle for anything less than a civic space where he could exhibit some of his collection. He interviewed some of the top architects in the world before choosing renowned Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron stating that he envisioned “some thing light and airy similar to the grand hall of a train station.”
The garage contains a grand central staircase, a glass cube that contains a designer clothing store, art exhibit space, and a double height top floor.
The top floor is an especially high parking level that doubles as a 25,000 square foot event space. This space is truly fit for the Jetson’s and equipped and ready for rock and roll with 360 degrees of views, catering, and audio visual equipment.
On a basic functional level the 1111 Lincoln is not for everyone, as its hourly rate is 4 times that of other local garages, but is definitely an ode to Miami’s high end car culture
If you want to show off your Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, Ferrari, or get hitched in an unconventional spot this is the display case for you!
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