If you think about how far car parks have come and we mean really think about it, patch of grass, side of the road, and a bunch of white lines drawn on the ground, it’s safe to say they’ve come along way.
We often take car parks for granted, after all they are usually just grey uninspiring mazes that bring nothing but frustration and false hopes every time you drive passed an “empty” bay that has a small car parked in it.
However, not all car parks are in the same category and thanks to DesignCurial.com and Looking4.com, we have ourselves the world’s coolest car parks of 2018. From innovative design, sustainable elements and environmentally friendly, to automation and robotic enhancements, here are some of the most interesting car parks in the world.
Cliniques Universitaires Saint Luc, Brussels
Architects: Modulo Architects, De Jong Gortemaker Algra Architects
The 985 capacity car park is recognised for it’s ‘canyon-walls’, which allows ample daylight and fresh air in that can reach three parking levels below ground. As the first contact point for the hospital next door, the team used natural materials throughout the design to provide a warm welcome for its visitors. There is also a roof garden on top, adding a touch of nature which connects to the residencies next door.
Al Jahra Court Automatic Parking, Kuwait
The future has arrived at Al Jahra Court in Kuwait. Robotic Parking Systems designed, manufactured, automated and installed a robotic car park system that provides 3 times as many car parking spaces as it would in a car park of the same volume.
It currently holds the Guinness world record for the largest automated parking facility in the world with 2314 car bays and only takes 177 seconds for car retrieval.
Garagenatelier Car Park, Herdern, Switzerland
Architects: Peter Kunz Architektur
One of our favourites by far, this exclusive car park takes you down a scenic hillside before you are greeted by a sliding glass panel like something out of a James Bond movie, allowing entry into the car park.
This innovative and elegant car park was designed by Swiss practice Peter Kunz Architektur and is embedded into the surrounding hillside landscape.
The underground car park has 5 large windows to allow natural daylight to enter and brighten the dark cave-like space.
This prompts visitors to notice inscriptions created by Oliver Kühn, within the surface of the glass that shows the relationship between automobiles and man.
2KM3 At Saint Gervais, Mont Blanc, France
The car park projected was launched by the mayor of Saint-Gervais, Jean-Marc Peillex, as an initiative to inject an artistic approach into the space.
Curator Hugues Chevallier and artist Frederic Battle (Zoer) invited 12 French and international artists to revamp the car parks facade and give it an artistic flare.
The name 2KM3 — 2000 cubic metres — was the exact amount of space the artists were given to work on and hence its name was born.
The space was dedicated to urban contemporary art and encourages artistic and poetic creativity. It has now become a landmark for the city.
Sinking Ship multi-storey, Seattle, USA
The Sinking Ship was created in the 1960s and is the outcome of a seamless geometry as it integrates with its surroundings.
The former Seattle Hotel, sits in front of the Smith Tower on a triangular steep slope and has been designed in the opposite direction of the hill. This makes it possible for the street surrounding the car park to act as access ramps, giving the car park its quirky name: The Sinking Ship.
Victoria Gate Multi Storey, Leeds, UK
Architects: Acme
Taking third place on the podium for the world’s coolest car parks is the Victoria Gate Multi Storey. The facility includes a department store, car park, and two arcades with a mix of shops, eateries and leisure facilities.
The architects at ACME wanted to make sure the car park was separate from the department stores but at the same time, acknowledge its existence and that they shared a purpose and relationship through its facade.
The building can be seen from all main roads with its twisted aluminium fin cladding that casts a unique pattern across its exterior. This design allows for ample natural daylight as well as fresh air to flow throughout the complex.
AZ Sint-Lucas Car Park, Ghent, Belgium
Architects: Abscis Architecten
The two-part project is situated across two buildings and creates an open-plan feeling to the design, which juxtaposes with its grid-like parking spaces throughout the complex.
The entire building is surrounded in white metal balustrades that feature thousands of small geometric patterns to create depth and add another artistic element to the overall design.
With recognition for biophilic design, plenty of greenery can be seen, with trees scattered across ground level and a variety of native plants on the floors above to brighten up the space.
Quick Parking Morelli Car Park, Naples, Italy
Architects: Kingdom Architects and Planners
Chosen by the public and crowned first place and officially the world’s most interesting car park is the Quick Parking Morelli car park in Naples, Italy.
The historic car park can be found right in the heart of the City of Naples and has been built inside an existing ancient cavern, with the mouth of the cave as the exit/entrance.
The purpose of its design was to focus on the relationship between the historic cave and modernisation of a new building built inside it. It has seven levels in total, with 3 public parking levels available for visitors and can be accessed from three various tunnels.
