Old Forester’s Paristown Hall, a new performance venue in Louisville, Kentucky, serves The Kentucky Center for the Arts. This facility accommodates standing-room-only performances for approximately 2,000 people and features a mix of national, regional, and local contemporary artists.

The structure includes a concrete slab on a steel deck roof, supported by steel joists and wide flange beams, ensuring robust acoustic insulation for the surrounding neighborhood. A partial mezzanine level provides additional viewing space, comprising a concrete slab on a steel deck supported by steel beams. Load-bearing concrete masonry walls and steel columns support the framing, bearing on shallow spread footings and a foundation mat.

The building’s main floor and partial basement are below the 100-year floodplain, necessitating the design of the basement mat foundation, basement walls, main level slab on grade, and perimeter walls to withstand hydrostatic pressures. Rock anchors secure the building under these forces. The adjacent green space, Christy’s Garden, is designed for outdoor events, including film screenings on a large projection screen on the building’s side. It includes a pavilion structure and a concession/projection building. 

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