LASN is a photographically oriented, professional journal featuring topics of concern and state-of-the-art projects designed or influenced by registered Landscape Architects.
Issue link: https://landscapearchitect.epubxp.com/i/289392
34 Landscape Architect and Specifier News The Phyllis W. Smale Riverfront Park is a 32-acre park in downtown Cincinnati that follows the banks of the Ohio River. The park is framed by Cincinnati landmarks like the Roebling Bridge, the National Underground Freedom Railroad Center, the Paul Brown Stadium and the Great American Ballpark. With implementation currently underway, the park completes a necklace of open spaces on the river, links statewide recreation trail and bike systems and reconnects the heart of downtown Cincinnati to the river. Massachusetts-based landscape architecture firm Sasaki Associates, Inc., designed the park as a fitting backdrop for the Roebling Bridge — a historically significant architectural icon — with areas for large gatherings, passive recreation and programmed events. Smale Riverfront Park was a previously underused space that needed a significant makeover. In the spring of 2011, John Smale, former Chairman of Procter & Gamble, gave the Cincinnati Parks Foundation a $20 million gift to honor his late wife Phyllis, who spent decades working to raise funds for the city's green spaces. Additional funding was provided through a mix of city, state and federal resources. The park is expected to bring over one million visitors downtown annually and have a positive economic impact on downtown Cincinnati overall. The park also provides an excellent venue for major events and festivals, and includes space for restaurants and other leisure facilities. The park provides a setting and a catalyst for civic activities and entertainment venues, and is supported by partnerships with private and public funds. Typical park events range from small picnic- like activities to larger pre- and post-game activities for local sports teams the Bengals and Reds, concerts, Above Downtown Cincinnati's Phyllis W. Smale Riverfront Park is the largest in a series of open spaces that link in a necklace around the Ohio River. Recent construction at the site includes a new event lawn and performance space, 1,000 feet of riverfront promenade, and several interactive fountains illuminated by LED lights. The cascades, jets and water curtains of the grand staircase fountain dazzle at night with thousands of color combinations, and the staircase includes a bike "runnel" carved into the granite that allows riders to easily roll bikes up or down the stairway. Cincinnati's Jewel Smale Riverfront Park Lighting by Crystal Fountains • Landscape Artitecture by Saski Associates 34-37.indd 34 3/25/14 3:31 PM