Historically known as the "Gateway to the South" with a fertile connection to the Ohio River, Louisville has been identified as a top foodie city and now, the location for one of the largest food hubs in the US. The designated 24-acre site in West Louisville, once the thriving home of a National Tobacco Works warehouse, is located within an area classified as a food desert where nutritious and affordable food is scarce. The history of disinvestment in West Louisville after the Great Flood in 1937 has defined the area in contrast to East Louisville and the rapidly growing downtown area. As one of the recent initiatives to address the disparity between West and East, the food hub has the potential to play an important role in the revitalization of the local Louisville community.

Designed in collaboration with architects OMA of Rotterdam and New York, the West Louisville Food Port operates as more than the typical food hub with the addition of several key programs that serve and provide for all stages of the food chain, from farming, to processing, shared community kitchen spaces, retail, and recycling. The Food Port builds on the city's historic position within the inland waterway network and the city's legacy as a major shipping port by providing a much needed infrastructural connection between farmers, suppliers and the growing demand for local food. Referencing the street grids of the city which are rotated at different angles from neighborhood to neighborhood to maintain orientation to the Ohio River, the master plan stitches together the urban fabric.

client

Seed Capital KY

location

Louisville, KY

TEAM

Stoss
OMA