The Three Branches Dam &
Richard M Daley Wetlands A Proposal to Re-Reverse the Chicago River
Ben Tolsky
The Three Branches Dam & Richard M Daley Wetlands A Proposal to Re-Reverse the Chicago River
Ben Tolsky
Contents 0 The Problem and Proposal The City-Wide Solution The Local Solution Concept Plans and Sections Diagrams Models Renderings
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Contents The Problem and Proposal The Great Lakes Basin A Brief History of Chicago and the Great Lakes Chicago Continental Divide, Past and Present Chicago’s Transportation Infrastructure Chicago’s Waterways A Few Quick Facts The Proposed Solution The City-Wide Solution The Local Solution Concept Plans and Sections Diagrams Models Renderings
0 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1.1 The Great Lakes Basin
1.2 A Brief History of Chicago and the Great Lakes
10,000 BC
End of the Ice Age, Glaciers covering Midwest retreat, Great Lakes formed
st
1818 1825 1833
Illinois becomes the 21 state Erie Canal opened Chicago founded; First Welland Canal opened
1848 1855
Illinois & Michigan Canal opened; Chicago’s first railroad opened Chicago street level raised
1871
Great Chicago Fire
1893 1900
World's Columbian Exposition Sanitary and Ship Canal opened, Chicago River reversed
1909
Daniel Burnham’s Plan of Chicago
1922 1927 1933
Cal-Sag Channel opened Midway Airport opened Century of Progress; Lake Shore Drive becomes Chicago’s first highway
1955 1956
O’Hare Airport opened St. Lawrence Seaway opened
1975
Deep Tunnel construction begins
1988 1992
Zebra Mussels discovered in the Great Lakes Great Chicago Flood
2010
Asian Carp threaten the Great Lakes eco-system
Mi ss iss Gr ippi Riv ea tL er B ak asin es Ba sin
1.3 Chicago’s Continental Divide Pre-1900
Chicago’s Continental Divide Today
1.4 Chicago’s Transportation Infrastructure
Diagram Compiled by Studio
1.5 Chicago’s Waterways
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pump house water treatment plant electric barrier system bubble curtain & strobes
355
damn and lock system
290
approximate water basin divide man-made water way natural water way proposed flood barrier - 3’ - 8’ concrete & metal screening, to be completed fall 2010
294
completed floor barrier - 3’ concrete & metal screening
hoffman dam
flood barrier zone
asian carp DNA found
o’brian lock & dam
94 55
90 lockport lock & dam
brandon rd. lock & dam
dresden lock & dam
Diagram Compiled by Studio
kankakee river
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1.6 A Few Quick Facts
The Great Lakes account for 20% of the world’s fresh surface water. They are the world’s second largest fresh water system after Lake Baikal in Siberia. Great Lakes
Lake Baikal
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100
200
300
400
500
Chicagoans consume 1,000,000,000 gallons of Lake Michigan water every day. Chicago diverts 2,100,000,000 gallons of Lake Michigan water towards the Gulf of Mexico every day. 2
X 2.1 BILLION This is enough water to lower the level of Lake Michigan by almost 2” each year. This water accounts for 70% of the flow in Chicago’s waterways.
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Approximately 4% of this water is released into the waterways as raw sewage. The remainder of this water is treated but not disinfected. 0
Chicago’s diversion accounts for almost half of the water taken from the Great Lakes Basin.
Sources: Shedd Aquarium, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
1.7 The Proposed Solution To prevent the threat of Asian Carp from entering the Great Lakes eco-system it will require a three part solution that will also address three other major problems confronting the city of Chicago. The overall goal is to create a more efficient, profitable, and environmentally friendly Chicago with an improved riverfront. The first component of the plan is damming the South Branch of the Chicago River at the confluence of the South, North, and Main branches. This site was selected for several reasons. First of all it will allow the city to connect its riverfront walk system downtown while expanding tourism opportunities along the Chicago River. Additionally it will force the city to immediately solve its sewage problems in the dense Downtown area and North Side of the city, while allowing the sewage problems on the less dense South and West Sides to be corrected incrementally at a financially sustainable pace. The second component of the system will be two large wetlands to be created at the mouth of the North Branch near the Baha’i Temple in Wilmette and at the mouth of the Main Branch South of Navy Pier. These wetlands will raise the level of the North and Main Branches of the Chicago River so that they are five feet higher than average level of Lake Michigan. More importantly, the wetlands will clean the water that will flow from the North and Main Branches back into Lake Michigan, significantly reducing the amount of water we divert from the Great Lakes Basin. The wetlands will also function as large ecological reserves with elevated walkways to be enjoyed by Chicagoans and visitors to our city. The third and final component will be placing one or more dams in the Lake Calumet region and creating the world’s largest landlocked intermodal port around it; while ensuring that Chicago will forever be the main hub for transportation and shipping within North America. The port will require facilities for transferring materials between barges from both sides of the dam, trains, and trucks, as well as transferring personal watercraft over the dam via land. The creation of this port will coincide with the streamlining of Chicago’s currently congested and poorly coordinated railroads. The location on Chicago’s far South Side will divert freight operations away from the city’s center as well as providing for efficient East-West transportation across the continent. With these proposed changes the South Branch of the Chicago River as well as the Cal-Sag Channel will maintain their current water levels. This will be controlled via the already existing Lockport Locks and, in the short-term, of the continued practice of dumping treated sewage from the South and West Sides into the river. This proposal will focus mainly on the design of the South Branch dam, to be known as the Three Branches Dam, as well as give a basic conceptual design of the downtown wetlands, to be known as the Richard M Daley Wetlands. It is assumed that the Baha’i Temple will be involved with the design of the Wilmette wetlands, while the major freight lines in conjunction with a new port authority will design the dams and port to be created in the Lake Calumet region.
Contents The Problem and Proposal The City-Wide Solution The Chicago River, Present and Future Re-Reversing the Chicago River Raising the Chicago River Reimagining Chicago’s Lakefront A New Front Yard for Chicago Redesigning the Chicago River Locks The Local Solution Concept Plans and Sections Diagrams Models Renderings
0 1 2 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 3 4 5 6 7 8
2.1 The Chicago River Today
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The Chicago River of the Future
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2.2 Re-Reversing the Chicago River
2.3 Raising the Chicago River
2.4 Reimagining Chicago’s Lakefront
Buenos Aires & The Ecological Reserve
Miles ½
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Chicago
Miles ½
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Chicago & The Ecological Reserve
Miles ½
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2.5 A New Front Yard for Chicago
Chicago from the Ecological Reserve
Buenos Aires from the Ecological Reserve
2.6 Redesigning the Chicago River Locks
Contents The Problem and Proposal The City-Wide Solution The Local Solution An Environmentally Friendly Downtown A City United The Current Confluence of the North, South, and Main Branch The Proposed Division of the North and South Chicago River Concept Plans and Sections Diagrams Models Renderings
0 1 2 3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 4 5 6 7 8
3.1 An Environmentally Friendly Downtown
3.2 A City United
3.3 The Current Confluence of the North, South, and Main Branch
3.4 The Proposed Division of the North and South Chicago River
Contents The Problem and Proposal The City-Wide Solution The Local Solution Concept Create a Spectacle on the Riverfront Design Ideas Design Evolution Plans and Sections Diagrams Models Renderings
0 1 2 3 4 4.1 4.2 4.3 5 6 7 8
4.1 Create a Spectacle on the Riverfront
Glico Man Dotonbori Canal, Osaka
A Symphony of Lights Kowloon Peninsula, Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong
???, Chicago River Sea Lions Pier 39, San Francisco
Fireballs, Crown Casino Yarra River, Melbourne
4.2 Design Ideas
4.3 Design Evolution
Contents The Problem and Proposal The City-Wide Solution The Local Solution Concept Plans and Sections Ground Floor Plan Ground Floor Diagram Structural System Plan Structural System Diagram Roof Plan Roof Diagram Interior Circulation Diagram Exterior Circulation Diagram West Side Section East Side Section Radial Section Section Comparison Diagrams Models Renderings
0 1 2 3 4 5 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 5.11 5.12 6 7 8
5.1 Ground Floor Plan 3/128” = 1’
5.2 Ground Floor Diagram 3/128” = 1’
5.3 Structural System Plan 3/128” = 1’
5.4 Structural System Diagram 3/128” = 1’
5.5 Roof Plan 3/128” = 1’
5.6 Roof Diagram 3/128” = 1’
5.7 Interior Circulation Diagram 3/128” = 1’
BE A
LIVING M
E F CA
ACH
MACHINE
HO DOG T IC SC E REA M
RI
TICK VER C ET O RUIS FFIC E E
5.8 Exterior Circulation Diagram 3/128” = 1’
B EA
ACH HOT D
OG S
IC E
CR EA M
5.9 West Side Section 3/32” = 1’
5.10 East Side Section 3/32” = 1’
5.11 Radial Section 1/16” = 1’
Radial Section 1/16” = 1’
5.12 West Side Section 1/32” = 1’
5.12 East Side Section 1/32” = 1’
5.12 Radial Section 1/32” = 1’
Contents The Problem and Proposal The City-Wide Solution The Local Solution Concept Plans and Sections Diagrams Diagramatic Section Exploded Axon Axonometric Corner Detail Western Section Structural Analysis Eastern Section Structural Analysis Models Renderings
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 7 8
6.1 Diagrammatic Section
6.2 Exploded Axon
6.3 Axonometric Corner Detail
6.4 Western Section Structural Analysis Structural Diagram
Displaced Shape
Shear Diagram
6.5 Eastern Section Structural Analysis Structural Diagram
Displaced Shape
Shear Diagram
Contents The Problem and Proposal The City-Wide Solution The Local Solution Concept Plans and Sections Diagrams
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Models 7 Renderings
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Contents The Problem and Proposal The City-Wide Solution The Local Solution Concept Plans and Sections Diagrams Models
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Renderings 8