CRESCENT PARK - New Orleans, Louisiana, 2014
Architects: Eskew+Dumez+Ripple
Design Architects: Michael Maltzan Architecture
Design Architects: Adjaye/Associates
Landscape Architects: Hargreaves Associates
Client: City of New Orleans
Project Management: The Tobler Company
Contractors: Landis Construction
Photographers: Timothy Hursley
Project Description
Part of a larger master plan that envisions a new, greener future for the City of New Orleans and its riverfront, Crescent Park was designed to reconnect people with the river and transform the remnants of the city’s industrial and maritime past into a verdant, accessible, community asset.
The Park grants unparalleled physical and visual access to the river, creating an environment for locals and visitors to interact and promote a healthy, active lifestyle with unrivaled vistas of the city skyline and the picturesque Crescent City Connection Bridge.
This 1.4-mile linear park includes 20-acres of indigenous landscaping, a network of paths suitable for walking, jogging, and biking; picnic areas, a dog park, and the adaptive reuse of two industrial wharves: the Piety Wharf and Mandeville Shed. Both structures have been stabilized and repurposed to accommodate public gatherings, festivals and the host of artistic exhibitions that take place throughout the year.
In lieu of new construction, the architects made a conscious decision to build upon the layers of history and character that already defined the sight. A nod to the industrial past, the repurposing of both structures is a modern reinterpretation. In place of shipping and receiving goods, these two spaces provide opportunities for engagement and interaction, the exchange of ideas and conversation.