A dozen graduate design students studying with Skidmore Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) Urban Design Partner Philip J. Enquist spent a semester investigating issues and opportunities for a stretch of the Chicago River’s South Branch from Wolf Point to Pilsen.
Waterline presents their proposals for this critical stretch of urban waterway in a summer-long exhibit at the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum.
The diverse group of students, representing concentrations in architecture, landscape architecture, urban design and urban planning developed a broad variety of solutions to ponder. Waterline proposals include using underutilized riverfront land to create a new micro-economy, re-visioning post-industrial properties as a riparian habitat that could leverage public and private investment into a new kind of development, reclaiming Pilsen’s vacant industrial corridor as a Chicago Water Institute and extending the existing River City development into a more naturally cohesive “Water City.”
The Chicago River was the city’s superhighway in the early decades of Chicago’s existence. Its initial development was neither pedestrian-friendly, civic in nature nor environmentally smart. The designs of Waterline showcase why the Chicago River should once again be considered the city’s most important asset and sets the stage for increased awareness, education and reinvention of the River.
Waterline opens to the public on June 22, 2012 and continues at the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum through August 31.
OPENING RECEPTION
Waterline opens with a reception from 5 to 7 PM on June 21, 2012 and will be on display at the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum through August 31. Previews and press availabilities will be provided by appointment starting June 11, 2012.
Please request appointments through Ed Keegan at (312) 360-4557 or Edward.keegan@som.com. If you are planning to attend the opening reception, please RSVP to beth.murin@som.com or by phone (312) 360-4179 and be sure to mention that you’re a member of the media.
PARTICIPANTS
Participating students in Waterline include Adriana Chavez, Aleksandr Nizhikhovskiy, Cameron Barradale, Catherine Tang, Evelyn Zwiebach, Nina Chase, Roger Weber, Sadatu Dennis, Stephanie Saltzman, Suemac Hatcher, and William Dibernardo. Instructor Philip Enquist was assisted by Teaching Assistant Conor O’Shea. +
Related Stories
| Aug 25, 2014
Ranked: Top cultural facility sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Arup, Gensler, and Turner head BD+C's rankings of design and construction firms with the most revenue from cultural facility projects, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 25, 2014
Tall wood buildings: Surveying the early innovators
Timber has been largely abandoned as a structural solution in taller buildings during the last century, in favor of concrete and steel. Perkins+Will's Rebecca Holt writes about the firm's work in surveying the burgeoning tall wood buildings sector.
| Aug 25, 2014
'Vanity space' makes up large percentage of world's tallest buildings [infographic]
Large portions of some skyscrapers are useless space used to artificially enhance their height, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
| Aug 25, 2014
Photographer creates time-lapse video of 1 WTC using 30,000 photos
Choosing from 30,000 photos he took from the day construction began in 2006 to the day when construction was finished in 2012, Brooklyn-based photographer Benjamin Rosamund compressed 1,100 photos to create the two-minute video.
| Aug 25, 2014
Glazing plays key role in reinventing stairway design
Within the architectural community, a movement called "active design" seeks to convert barren and unappealing stairwells originally conceived as emergency contingencies into well-designed architectural focal points. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Aug 25, 2014
An easy trick for minimizing construction delays
About one out of every three construction projects is behind schedule or over budget, according to the Construction Industry Institute's Assessment of Owner Project Management Practices and Performance survey. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Aug 22, 2014
Before & After: Hospital upgrade shows shifting needs in healthcare construction
Community Hospice of Northeast Florida took an outdated 10-bed inpatient hospice unit and created a space that would meet the needs of patients receiving end of life care by creating a place that felt like home.
| Aug 22, 2014
Spireworks app lets users control a piece of the New York skyline
Mark Domino, the son-in-law of developer Douglas Durst, has developed an app, called Spireworks, that allows anyone with a smartphone to change the color of a building's lights.
| Aug 21, 2014
Ranked: Top science and technology sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
HDR, Affiliated Engineers, and Skanska top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest S+T sector design and construction firms.
| Aug 21, 2014
Ranked: Top convention center AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Gensler, AECOM, and Hunt Construction top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest convention center design and construction firms.
