It’s the 25th anniversary of our Third Street headquarters

On July 20, 1998, Louisville Water opened the doors to its current Third Street headquarters, the John L. Huber Building, which is named after a former president and CEO.

The day before the new headquarters opened, The Courier-Journal published an article about the building’s architect, Rick Kremer.

The article said Louisville Water employees were leaving a much older building on Third Street, a “sedate, gray stone, neo-Renaissance building,” to move to “a stunningly different, energizing building at Third and Chestnut streets.

It is composed of curves, shimmery blue glass, an intriguing collection of towers, a fabulous lobby with reflecting pool, and a high-tech art quilt by nationally noted Kentucky artist Arturo Sandoval ….”

The article pointed out that Kremer’s design for the interior of the building “encourages mingling. Instead of keeping workers apart, the open plan and almost festive boat-like motif encourages people to walk around ….” The front of the building is “a puzzle of related imagery. The blue glass suggests water. The curving front glass wall embraces a fountain and two towers, each an abstract version of a historic company.”

The Omni Louisville Hotel now stands on the site of Louisville Water’s former Third Street headquarters, but the hotel has honored our history by naming its pool area The Water Company.