The seven-story, four-bay wide parking structure was built on the landlocked urban site of Memorial Hospital to meet the need for 1,500 additional parking spaces for patients, visitors, and staff. The hospital board and neighborhood groups sought a parking structure that did not look like the stereotypical horizontal parking structure. The design provides a “vertical feel,” featuring a two-story colonnade that accommodates ambulances and over-the-road trucks.

Project Highlights:

• Precast concrete superstructure
• Double-tee decks are field-topped with 5,000-psi concrete. Braced frames with steel diagonals provide lateral support in one direction while concrete shear walls are used in the other direction
• De-watering the site was necessary because the below grade structure extended into the water table
• Entry/exit ramps and the top-level concrete slab contain a glycol de-icing system
• Interior is painted white to enhance brightness and safety
• Brick inserts in precast panels relate to existing building materials used throughout the campus