Harley-Davidson has joined forces with high-profile British architecture firm Heatherwick Studio to transform disused car parking lots at the company’s headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, into a new public park for both pedestrians and motorcycle enthusiasts.

The Juneau Avenue Campus Headquarters park will be centered around a new outdoor amphitheater-like multipurpose events space named the Hub that will replace the old parking lots. It will be built using 10 different types of locally sourced brick, natural timber, and weathered steel meant to patina.

The Hub will host rows of tiered seating and areas for motorbikes, including driveways, turning circles, and parking bays. It will offer choice views of the original home of Harley-Davidson, as well as a new nearby park area that’s being created with 120 different native plants and trees (perhaps a nod to Harley-Davidson’s 120 years in operation). There are also plans to create a market area, a garden, and a so-called nature playground.

Heatherwick Studio

“Our goal is to turn this historic factory land into a new public park for the people of Milwaukee,” explained Thomas Heatherwick, who has lots of experience creating unusual parks, including Little Island, the Cove, and the Leaf. “We want to make an exciting community space where people can come together with friends and family and experience the wildness of nature alongside spaces for food, performance and play. The ambition is to highlight and celebrate renewed life in the Near West Side of this very special city.”

The project will also involve local firms HGA and Greenfire and Management Services. It’s expected to break ground in early 2023 and is due to be open by mid-2024.

Sources: Harley-Davidson, Heatherwick Studio