PARK(ing): DETROIT
SUMMARY:
Conversion of empty lot into a public park and greenspace which doubles as a parking lot for the neighborhood. Completed April 2022.
OVERVIEW:
PARK(ing) extends Core City Park with a community greenspace that doubles as a 28-car parking lot. Located in the heart of Detroit’s Core City, the 24,000-square-foot site is generously punctuated with 78 trees, creating a parking lot that is in harmony with nature. Every project, no matter its object, is an opportunity to inspire; and with PARK(ing), we created an urban environment that takes cues from the surrounding area and expresses our overall intent in Core City — the creation of inspired indoor and outdoor spaces. Designed by Julie Bargmann, PARK(ing) builds onto this concept while providing the neighborhood with a central place to park. During the day, cars are disguised by lush green berms, heavily planted with sumac, maple and evergreen trees, and in the evening, the park serves as an extension of Core City Park, as a thoughtful public garden for connection, contemplation and enjoyment. Imagine the parking lot of a big-box store, cracked and weathered with time, then picture the magnificence of a lush forest that offers refuge to humans and nature alike, amidst the backdrop of a bustling urban environment. PARK(ing) gives priority to the pulse of Core City and those who inhabit it, while also acknowledging that we must also have places to park our cars.
