CHICAGO STUDIO Fall 2013
Alexandra Kurek
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DESIGN STUDIO
intro analysis precedents process concepts drawings renderings model photos
PRO-PRACTICE MANUAL project schedule lectures professional interviews cannon of ethics interview additional writing
URBAN MAPPING DESIGN BOARDS competition
PHOTOGRAPHY
DESIGN STUDIO
INTRODUCTION
The Uptown Market is the collaborative effort of three architecture students and one landscape architecture student through CHICAGO STUDIO and von Weise Associates. It is one of three projects located in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago. The project seeks to analyze and understand how multimodal transportation hubs can revitalize an area. Over the course of ten weeks, we collaborated with various members of the Uptown community through interviews, critiques, site visits, and presentations. Through our investigations, we gained a better understanding of Chicago, Uptown, and various transportation methods found within the area. This project specifically investigates the renovation and adaptive reuse of the former Uptown Station. In 1922, Arthur Gerber designed the Uptown Station with a classical revival style. The ‘El’ brought tremendous growth to Uptown through its direct connection with Downtown, and as a result The Gerber Building became a central focus for the thriving entertainment district. Because of its placement under the tracks, the Gerber Building degraded with time. It currently lays vacant, aside from the still active Wilson Station. Our intent is to bring this site back to its former glory, becoming a catalyst for growth in the Uptown neighborhood. By analyzing the site through our multidisciplinary lens, we realized the inherent opportunity in The Gerber Building and its surrounding block, and created an innovative and unique program for Uptown. What was once the Uptown Station is reborn as the Uptown Market. The Gerber Building becomes an open, dynamic space housing a mixed-market, restaurant, and cafe. Two vertical farm towers soar above, framing the existing Gerber facade, and supplying the Uptown Market. The central plaza becomes the public fabric that connects these unique spaces. The Uptown Market is about establishing connections: people connect to food, the growing process, the neighborhood, and The Gerber Building becomes the beacon of growth that connects Uptown and Chicago.
ANALYSIS
DESIGN STUDIO - analysis
Uptown Theatre Institute of Cultural Affairs
Inspiration Kitchen
Weiss Hosp
Cornerstone Community Outreach
Weiss Rooftop Garden
Uptown Farmer’s Marke Wilson Truman College
ay
adw
Bro Graceland Cemetery
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CHICAGO STUDIO - fall 2013
Markets Community Based Institutions Entreatment
Wilson Montrose Beach
pital
et
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DESIGN STUDIO - analysis
Six bullets, in rapid succession just now. It’s gonna be a rough summer in the hood #UPTOWNCHICAGO @sunnyb
If someone ever felt inclined to buy me a present, I could really go for some pepper spray #WHITEGIRL #INCHICAGO #WILSONSTOP @JackieKoester
I thought UPTOWN theatre was finally getting renovated, just Transformers 4 filming, well that’s underwhelming #CHICAGO #TRANSFORMERS4 @motherbox
Rogers Park and UPTOWN is a warzone #NORTHSIDENATIVE #CHICAGO @koolestindian
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“And yet Allen, a native of Jamaica who lives in Rogers Park, still doesn’t think of it as a bad corner, or a bad neighborhood, just a neighborhood whose problems deserve more attention.” -Watching the good and the bad on an Uptown Street Corner (Chicago Tribune) “Safe Passage is during the time the children come to school and leave school.” -Uptown Shooting has parents on edge (Chicago Tribune)
“It’s crazy...I was kind of scared to walk to McDonald’s today.” -Uptown Shooting has parents on edge (Chicago Tribune)
“Pivot Arts Multi-Arts Festival...This festival is presented vaudeville-style, with its mission to rekindle the entertainment scene in Uptown” -Pivot Arts fest rejuvenating Uptown entertainment (Chicago Tribune) 13
DESIGN STUDIO - analysis 1900
1907
Northwestern Elevated began operation.
1908
1910
Railroad
Located at the south of Wilson Av. Wilson was the North terminal with a station, yard, offices, and shops. Architect William Gibb initial design presented problems with height of the railroad.
1917
1922
1923
1924
1947
The Northwestern Elevated consolidated the upper and lower stations into one entrance. The Northwestern Elevated opened its extension to Evanston over the electrified ground-level tracks of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway.
The Stohr Arcade demolished.
Building
was
Arthur Gerber’s designed a Classical Revival building.
Upper and Lower Wilson work simultaneously with local and express trains.
The neighborhood of Uptown gains recognition due to the fast growth of “Wilson Shops” nearby the station.
All tra Wilson beyon
Also, the two-track line north of Wilson was expanded to four tracks.
Wilson is no longer the North terminal.
Architect Arthur Gerber designed the “lower Wilson” which included the station’s headhouse, trainmen’s rooms and clerk’s office.
The C trains
Gerber’s new building was thought of as the joint between the Northwestern Elevated and the interurban train.
Traffic assistant, Peter C. Stohr, hired Frank Lloyd Wright to design The Stohr Arcade Building at the north side of Wilson, between the elevated tracks and Evanston Avenue.
The Chicago Tran took control.
McJunkin Advertising Agency sioned architects Marshall & large commercial buildin resembled the new Wilson across the street.
The 465 feet long McJunkin Bu located at Broadway.
The Stohr Arcade Building was merely commercial.
Chicago Daily published: Gerber’s extension would relieve some of the congestion at the terminal.
Uptown district became the largest and most popular commercial and entertainment area on the city's North Side.
1975
1976
Harry S. Truman community college open doors. Wilson received a new auxiliary entrance to coincide with the establishment of the new community college adjacent to the "L" on the west.
1982
1984
1990s
1996
2000s
adjacent yard were irreparably damaged.
A&B Food Mart moved out and the space between Wilson and the side entrance was partitioned into three separate rental spaces. The primary entrance of Wilson station as it appears today -- originally a secondary side entrance -- looking northwest on Broadway.
Communities to the south such as Lakeview and Wrigleyville had seen substantial redevelThe trend crossed north of Irving Park Road, transforming the southern part of Uptown known as Sheridan Park or Buena Park. The corner entrance was home to a Popeye's, which occupied the space for several years until vacating the space circa 2010.
C w h
The communi
populations w backgrounds, l
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CHICAGO STUDIO - fall 2013 1949
1957
1956
1963
1960
1958
CTA discontinued terminating at Wilson.
ains from downtown serving n ran through to Howard or nd. Tragedy struck at Wilson station when a CTA train collided with a North.
nsit Authority
Shore Line train. Initially, seven died and approximately 160 "L" riders were injured.
commis& Fox a ng that n station
CTA’s renovation effort declared that the decorative terra cotta arched parapet at the station's corner entrance needed to be removed. CTA embarked on a $1.8 million project to reconstruct about 1,500 feet of right-of-way through Wilson station into a continuous four-track system.
The North Shore Line ceased operations and vacated Wilson station. Only the "L" now using the station and only North-South Route trains stopping, the large waiting room and several platforms were no longer needed. The waiting room was converted into commercial space
uilding is
The Lower Wilson station entrance was closed and demolished, leaving the stairs to the mezzanine and Upper Wilson exposed to the outside again at street level. The population of Uptown declined.
A large portion of the lower yard was used to store out of service wood cars.
2005
2006
2007
2011
2012
2013
$203 million dollars was given for Wilson station renovation Governor Pat Quinn, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, CTA President Forrest Claypool, several state lawmakers, and nearly a dozen aldermen announced a $646 million state capital investment grant to improve infrastructure on the Red and Purple lines. T Phase II design was expected to be complete but the project was cancelled before the second phase was completed. Funds for the project were reallocated to other capital needs and the plans set aside. The Chicago Transit Board approved funding for the second phase of design work for Wilson station. The approved amendment brought the total design contract for Wilson station to $3.5 million.
Many apartments were subdivided into smaller units, rooming houses, and single-room occupancies more suitable for individuals than families or couples. 2014
2015
2016
Proposals Responses Due in September "Chicago ''L''.org: StationsDeveloper - Wilson." Chicago ''L''.org: Stations - Wilson. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Sept. 2013. Evaluation/Selection Development Agreement(s) Finalized Station Project Substantial Completion
The CTA issued an Invitation for Bids (IFB) seeking a general contractor for the reconstruction project. CTA hosted an open house meeting to allow customers and community members an opportunity to view renderings of the proposed Wilson Reconstruction Project. Request For Information published Station Project Start
CTA's 2004-2008 Capital Improvement Plan, which provided funding for rehabilitation of historic Wilson station.
ity found itself at a
with widely divergent lifestyles, and priorities.
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The existing platform and track formation for the Wilson stop on the Red Line are going to be undergoing reconstruction. They will be shifted further west and lifted three feet higher. A purple line stop will also be included, allowing for four tracks and two platforms. The Gerber building will act as an auxiliary entrance, with the main entrance across the street in Wilson Yards. This allows for more flexibility in the rehabilitation and design of the existing Gerber building.
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DESIGN STUDIO - analysis
TRACKS: Existing | New
CHICAGO STUDIO - fall 2013
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DESIGN STUDIO - analysis
orginial Gerber facade
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b
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DESIGN STUDIO - analysis
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The Gerber building in its current state is starting to disintegrate allowing for only the entrance to the Wilson Stop to be occupied. With classical revival features this building has become a historical landmark. Our designs plan to rehabilitate the existing facade while incorporating a new building and program for the space.
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PRECEDENTS
DESIGN STUDIO - precedents
Pasona, Tokyo
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Gotham Greens, NY
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DESIGN STUDIO - precedents
Acheaology, Spain
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Caixa Forum, Spain
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DESIGN STUDIO - precedents
IBN
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DESIGN STUDIO - precedents
Perkins + Will
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DESIGN STUDIO - precedents
el Campode
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PROCESS
DESIGN STUDIO - process
and
Lel
n
lso
Wi
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A very prominent feature on this site was the existing columns from the tracks above. Our group had decided to originally investigate the use of columns to create spaces within and around the walls of the Gerber building.
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DESIGN STUDIO - process
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DESIGN STUDIO - process
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After our investigation of the columns, we started to analyze the site for various ways to place the columns in our design. This started the study of multiple grid systems that can be found on the site. Which led to two overlaying systems based on Wilson and Broadway that we used throughout the project.
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DESIGN STUDIO - process
Broadway grid
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Wilson grid
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DESIGN STUDIO - process
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These various form studies led to investigations of appropriate programs from the space. These ideas came from the RFI as well as opinions of community members and organizations. Our final program included: a cafe, restaurant, market, indoor plaza, and urban farm. These images show early atmospherical renders of what we had hoped the spaces would represent.
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DESIGN STUDIO - process
DESIGN STUDIO - process
program placement studies
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DESIGN STUDIO - process
week 5
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week 7
week 8
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week 8
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CONCEPT
DESIGN STUDIO - concept
Touch
Smell
Material Light Air People
Auditory Train People Transit Mechanical
Area People Kitchen Products Waste Mechanical
Gro
Pathway
Doors Stairs Elevators
Enclosure Walls Columns Density Windows
Arcade Ramp Promenade Plaza
Dispo se Merchan ts
Egress
tional Emo
Static
Resid
Connecting p sustainable f
Eat
Men Circula tal tion
t an l P
e
Se rv To u ris ts
Ph y sic Seating Handles Bar Stations
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Columns Glass Steel Wood Structural Functions
Openings Windows Doors Hallways
Material Wood Steel Stone Glass
ory
al
ok Furnishings
CHICAGO STUDIO - fall 2013 Visual View Perspective Frame Transparency Rhythm Shadow/light
Atmosphere
Enclosure
Level of Activity
Density
Pace Publicity
ow
dents
Proximity People Columns Stations
Ha rve st
Supply cess Pro dents Stu
people to a food system
C o m m
P
p re
ers ut C
Sen Understanding Surprise Clarity Detail Atmosphere
Behavior Communication
Signage
Advertisement Interaction
Train Street Interior Moving Static Exchange Converse
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DESIGN STUDIO - concept
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DESIGN STUDIO - concept
common program conditions
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proposed program conditions
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DESIGN STUDIO - concept
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Through the use of landscape features and hydroponics we were able to allow for people to have a better connection to the growing and food system found on the site. While also creating a highly active and functional space.
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DESIGN STUDIO - concept
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Connections from the main streets were also a very important aspect of our project. Through the redesigning of the streetscapes and the exterior walls of the Gerber, we were able to achieve a better connection to the existing area.
nnection to Sidewalk
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DESIGN STUDIO - concept
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Finally we spent time carefully designing circulation patterns throughout the space. This allowed for people to connect to the CTA platforms, the growing towers, and the programs on the ground level.
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