UIC School of Architecture 2017 Spring Student Competition
Hosted by:
In partnership with:
Timeline Registration
Tu 1.17–Th 1.26
Charrette Kickoff Event [In UIC SoA 1100 Gallery at 6–7:30pm]
Th 1.26
•presentation of Competition Brief and support materials •Q&A with experts and project facilitators
South Chicago Commercial District Site Visit [in South Chicago at 10am–12pm]
Sa 1.28
•teams meet on-site to photograph & research •presentation/meeting with representatives from community organizations
Working Lunch Workshop [In UIC SoA 1100 Gallery at 12–2pm]
We 2.01
•catered lunch for students & advisors •teams bring materials to meet with faculty advisors, competition collaborators, & other experts
Digital Submissions Due [via email at 10am] Jury Show & Reception [in UIC SoA 1100 Gallery at 5–7pm]
Mo 2.06
Th 2.09
•display of all submissions for students & public to peruse •jury to announce winners & provide feedback •collaborators, community representatives & invited officials to make comments
Gallery Opening [in South Chicago, U.S. Bank at 6–8pm]
We 2.15
•display of selected work to allow community & constituents to view projects •brief presentations from teams to encourage engagement with visions •collaborators, community representatives, & invited officials to make comments
SOUTH CHICAGO
UNDERLINE PROJECT Welcome to The UnderLine Project!
The South Chicago UnderLine Project is an ideas competition to design a new public zone under the Chicago Skyway, on the southern border of the South Chicago neighborhood. The massive site is a remnant from an urban infrastructure project, but if activated through thoughtful design, has potential to become a highly visible and active public space, acting as an anchor and gateway to the South Chicago Commercial District. Beyond thinking of a single autonomous intervention, the competition challenged participants to speculate and propose how the tenets of their projects would be deployed across the district to support the neighborhood’s revitalization. Through new systems of parks, plazas, and other public amenities, the UnderLine Project aims to help the South Chicago neighborhood envision how it can reclaim its industrial and infrastructural inheritance for the public, and spark growth and development for the district. UIC School of Architecture students were encouraged to sign up as individuals or in pairs, which were then composed into teams that mixed classes and experience levels. Over 50 students in 13 teams volunteered to put forth proposals.
The following pages contain exerpts from the Competition Brief and the team proposals. The Brief was distributed to participants at the Kickoff Event and provided a framework from which to begin designing. In addition to submitting a visual proposal, teams were asked to prepare a description and select a single iconic image to represent their projects.
South Chicago UnderLine Project Competition Brief Context The UnderLine Project is hosted by the UIC School of Architecture in partnership with the UIC Great Cities Institute (GCI) and South Chicago Chamber of Commerce with Special Service Area #5, and is part of a larger revitalization initiative that was instigated by the South Chicago Chamber of Commerce approaching the GCI for support in developing a plan for the area. From the Great Cities Institute: History and Explanation of the Neighborhood and Plan The UIC Great Cities Institute facilitated a planning process for revitalization of the Commercial Avenue corridor in the South Chicago community. In collaboration with the South Chicago Chamber of Commerce and Special Service Area (SSA) #5, GCI embarked on a twelve-month communitybased planning process with key neighborhood stakeholders including residents, business owners, community organizations, service providers, and elected officials. In South Chicago, retail has been on the decline, with very little recovery, since the loss of the steel industry. Beginning as a sharp decline in the mid-1970s, the last steel mill closed its doors in the early 1990s. The loss of those payrolls meant a loss in retail employment and the access to the goods and services that retail provides. As a result, a once thriving commercial corridor at the heart of South Chicago now contains only a fraction of the businesses it once held. Interspersed through the occasional business, are rampant vacancies and empty lots. Residents active in South Chicago believe in the possibilities for a revived South Commercial Avenue. As GCI partnered with South Chicago residents and organizations, they began by inviting stakeholders to develop ideas and strategies, utilizing their local knowledge to provide the foundation for the plan. Applying various technical tools, GCI gathered the community’s input and guided residents and organizations towards a consensus on actions to take to implement the plan. Through a series of community meetings and design charrettes, GCI developed a vision, design, and actions for the corridor. They coupled the wants and needs of stakeholders with data and economic analysis to form a basis for the recruitment of new businesses to fill vacancies and create a vibrant corridor. The resulting plan is having a direct effect on the Commercial Avenue corridor by creating a focus on the importance of the corridor and by creating a framework for future developments along the corridor. This process takes time, but over several years of focused efforts, the intention is to produce a thriving, vibrant corridor that draws people from all over the region to shop, dine, and stroll in the South Chicago neighborhood. The result will be a stronger economy, more jobs, and access to the goods and services that neighborhood residents need.
Concepts The SCUP requests proposals to transform the unused site along Commercial Avenue under the Chicago Skyway into a highly visible and active public space. This new space will act as the southern anchor to the S. Chicago Commercial District that is the focus of the Revitalization Plan, and is an instance of residual infrastructural dead space needing to be transformed from a wasteland into a rich public zone. Proposals should be visionary in scope, but retain a degree of feasibility. Most importantly, they should seek to find a way to bring new value to vacant space and enhance the life of the community, both on the specific UnderLine site and across the commercial district. Proposals should: •create a signature public space that culturally connects the district to its surroundings, positioning the UnderLine site as the gateway to the district, drawing regional visitors, and attracting new populations to join the community; •develop a strong programming and zoning strategy that provides a site for positive youth engagement, and increases the space for supportive social interaction; •promote the safety and equal access of all members of the community, with special attention to how people travel to and from the site; •provide a strategy for expanding commercial impact beyond the specific UnderLine site into the larger district, potentially incorporating revenue generating components. Proposal Guidelines Each entry should include: 1 UnderLine Site Proposal: The primary site of intervention with both a unique configuration (large territory, Skyway as roof, railroad embankment as wall) and a challenging location (southern anchor to district, isolated by embankment, and “facing” away). Designs should be precise in program and form, taking into consideration the overarching goals of the Revitalization Plan, the Concepts identified above, and additional aspects of public space creation per the discretion of the team. 2 Visionary Public Amenity Plan: The expansion of the UnderLine site proposal as a means to overhaul public space in the neighborhood. Highlights other sites where similar intervention creates system, specifically focusing on transforming unused or abandoned spaces into public amenity as a means to enhance the life of current residents, as well as attract new audiences to the area. Visions may seek to address issues such as physical movement across district, location of transportation hubs, streetscape, access to amenities or programs, etc. and can be more diagrammatic in their representation. 3 A Compelling Title: Each project should have a title, but the phrase “Revitalization Plan” or “South Chicago UnderLine Project” are prohibited from use as a title in this competition. This competition draws on the 2016 UIC Revitalization Plan, but is a distinct project. The word “UnderLine” can be used, but it is suggested that teams attempt to re-present the term in a unique perspective. The following general considerations may be included but are not explicitly required: •Maintenance of sight lines for increased safety •Means to engage the environment and •Flexibility of use (passive, active, economic, etc) encourage users to participate in care of site/ •Wayfinding or signage, and graphic identity system •Development or deployment of streetscape •Sustainable design strategies and material components, such as trash cans, benches, sensitivity lighting •Programming to support ongoing social and economic development
Winner: 1st Prize DOT ...
Team 03 Kaitlyn Woodward Nick Mattia
G3 G1
Andrew Lang
U3
DOT… is a proposal to create a unique, recognizable public space that attracts and benefits multiple generations and demographics while still maintaining the identity of the community. As a whole, this built environment uses strong programming and zoning to foster positive youth engagement and augment the space for supportive social interaction. Four areas work together to address and provide for certain community needs and interests. It does so by providing an art space, a garden-market space, a multifunctional space, and a play space. This pedestrian friendly area aims to beautify and improve the current location. The first area that one will experience is the green dot – the art space. Being more community based, this is the main attractor. The green dot functions as an art space as well as a general gateway into the developed area and overall community. The curvilinear wall acts as a display space as well as a community bulletin board. Local artists will feature and create artwork here and community members will use this space to post, browse, and find information regarding events, activities, and happenings in the community. The orange dot functions as a gathering and garden space. It features several built-in tables, chairs, and barbeque pits, gardening boxes, and a greenhouse. This area enables garden sharing and selling as well as the potential for group style meals. The blue dot functions as a multipurpose space that draws in the community. It showcases a performance structure, seating options, and various fitness zones including in-ground trampolines. This area also serves as an entertainment destination for the community by providing a home for established programs that take place in the neighborhood (i.e. Battle of the Bands, Our Neighborhood’s Got Talent, Murder Mystery Show). The pink dot is for play. This area holds a multi-use play structure featuring a rock wall, skate ramp, basketball court, as well as swings and a slide. This space is the farthest one since it is more specific to the ages it pertains to and therefore requires the highest degree of safety. It is the hope that the occupants will find other ways to activate the space than the obvious – each dot can take on unintended uses whether that be dance lessons, town hall meetings, pop-up and performance art, or farmer’s markets. This gateway into the community strives to tell, as well as enrich, the story of South Chicago’s and celebrate the deep rooted cultural diversity. It hoped to recapture the vitality of the commercial avenue corridor by activating and reactivating spaces that have since been forgotten. The future for this project could involve reimagined bus stops that allow the integration of the site into the community. DOT… intends to project a possible future, while simultaneously referencing the past.
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Iconic Image
Winner: Honorable Mention UNDERWAY PARK
Team 04 Olivija Cepaite Madison Schneider Benjamin Sonowo
G2 G2 U2
Christopher Fehlman BA4
South Chicago has arguably had one of the greatest and most underappreciated influences on the city of Chicago. South Chicago has housed the U.S. Steel South Works that supplied Chicago with much of the steel that makes up the infamous skyline we are familiar with today. Without the bustling city of South Chicago and its diverse population, the Willis Tower and the Hancock Building would not appear as we see it now. The city was home to many immigrants from Ireland, Poland, Mexico and many more. With such a diverse population and great impact on the city of Chicago, South Chicago is beyond deserving of a project as vibrant and influential as it is itself. As a tribute to the work that South Chicago has done for downtown, the Underway Park is proposed. The park features a vibrant graphic across its landscape and incorporates the history of the region. As one makes their way through the park, he or she can find a timeline of the region along with artwork provided by its inhabitants across the walls. The enclosed area hints at the envelope strategy of the Willis Tower and Hancock Building, while the graphic takes reference from the beautiful colorations found in murals throughout South Chicago. On the far southeast end of the site, there is a park for the children of the area. The park ideally would take scrap tires from local shops, such as the one next to the site, to make tire swings and much of the playground equipment. Underway Park is a combination of an enclosed area, partial wall structures, a playground, picnic tables, benches, and a playful landscape graphic. Scattered throughout are influences of the city’s contributions to Chicago and artwork done by the community. The park allows for a variety of different budgets. On the lowest budget, materials could be provided by donations of scraps from local tire shops to create the playground and painted concrete would make the graphic seen. If the budget were greater, the graphic could be made from various materials and even LEDs that could light up the park at night. This park is one that would attract much of the community. Whether you are a parent wanting to take your children to the park, a teenager hoping to have a barbeque with friends, or an elder wanting to relax on a bench and enjoy the surrounding space, there is a place for everyone. We hope that this project would allow for the participation of many in the community to help create murals, the graphic landscape, and to provide materials for the creation of the park.
Proposal
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WOMEN’S RESTROOM
6
WALL WITH ART + TIMELINE
Iconic Image
Winner: Honorable Mention Wavelengths
Team 08 Andrew Mateja Andrea Hunt
G3 U4
Emilio Ferral Nick Musial
U2 U2
Wavelengths seeks to reinvigorate the south gateway to South Chicago with a multipurpose park and sculpture playground. The natural thresholds – marked by the existing skyway support system – lead into four designated areas for reception, performance, play, and culture. Upon entrance into the park, the visitor is greeted by a mural painted by local artists, showcasing the diverse heritage of South Chicago. Transportation amenities, such as a Divvy bike station, bike parking spaces, and a new bus stop are also located here. From entrance to performance, this zone hosts an amphitheater complete with a stage for the performance arts and sunken seating for an audience. Afterwards, a section for play presents soft colorful forms which can be crawled under, over, and into. Finally, a cultural zone urges its viewer to acknowledge South Chicago’s vast history through its featured educational fountains or sculptures. A continuous undulating roof acts as a unifier of these spaces under the Skyway and as an acoustical buffer to shield the park from the vehicular noise above. A primary feature of Wavelengths is its functionality during both daylight and evening hours. Scattered and permanent furniture forms made of translucent fiberglass light at dusk from integrated multicolor LEDs. Cast phosphorescent resin are embedded in the main pathway and can stay illuminated hours after sunlight has passed. These two elements, paired with path-lined light posts, offer playful and vibrant lighting in the evening to keep the park activated past sunfall. The Public Amenities plan seeks to connect Commercial Avenue with the churches, schools, and parks that lay on the periphery of this area of South Chicago as well as link the Wavelengths park along Commercial Avenue. Through means of a road improvement language along Commercial Avenue, these improvements will be extended to these places with the intent of encouraging church attendees students, and outside visitors to venture to the Commercial Avenue corridor. New bus stop shelters will replace ones that currently service Commercial Avenue. Divvy bike stations will be installed at parks, schools and intersections to the historic corridor. The viaduct that separates Wavelengths with the rest of South Chicago will undergo improvements to allow safer passage. The trusses, iron bridges, and concrete walls are to be painted a brilliant white. The walls will be lined with multicolor LEDs that will provide nighttime visibility, while handrails will provide safety to users. A majority of structures on Commercial Avenue contain multiple floors. These can become leasable apartment spaces to students or urban professionals who can live in South Chicago and commute via Metra to the University of Chicago or the Loop. This will keep this buildings occupied after hours giving life to the community in the evening. The two Metra stops therefore will follow the same streetscape language and will connect to the main corridor. This proposal will position South Chicago as a preeminent neighborhood bringing renewed interest to cultural heritage, community involvement and a colorful future.
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Proposal
Mural Wall
Performance Stage
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Playground
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Iconic Image
Winner: Honorable Mention BendWay Park
Team 10 Isabelle Reford G1 Alejandra Cardenas U4
Celdin Fajardo Destine Meza
U4 U1
BendWay Park is a vision for a multi-use all-season venue catering to the diverse residents of South Chicago, and aims to be a destination that also attracts visitors from beyond the neighborhood. A shared bicycle path and footpath bends and curves around the park, forming a loop that divides the space into three parts: a food truck area, a pavilion area, and a kiosk area. Activities are oriented towards the center of the park, keeping the focus away from surrounding streets and railways. Adjacent to S Commercial Ave, the park accommodates space for three to five food trucks. Picnic style seating is provided and this space can be used in the daytime and evening, attracting residents and employees throughout the week, and churchgoers on Sunday afternoons. The center of BendWay Park is a pavilion area, which features several interactive sculptures that visitors can walk around, under, and through. An inground skate park/ice rink provides space for physical activity. Amphitheatre seating on the north boundary of the park, built directly into the existing slope provides views to all the pavilions. A colourful barrier separates the park from the railway for visitors’ safety. Permanent kiosks provide the opportunity for a variety of events benefitting vendors and the local community. A nominal fee for kiosk rentals will generate revenue for the park. Events may include: -Farmers markets -Craft markets -Night markets -Holiday markets (e.g. Christmas, Easter) -Corporate marketing events -Community or cultural festivals and displays -Skate rentals A translucent and colorful ceiling supported by structural light fixtures separates the park from the underside of the Skyway. In addition to providing a visual identity to BendWay Park, the ceiling acts as a sound barrier sheltering the site from the noise of the Skyway. The visual and experiential appeal of the park’s sculptures, colourful ceiling, food and markets give it an “instagrammable” quality. Visitors’ photos and videos shared through social media will serve as promotion for the park and attract many more visitors. The project capitalizes on existing transportation infrastructure. Four bus routes stop within a one block radius of the park. New signage in the form of murals from the 93rd St Metra Station will guide visitors for the seven-minute walk to the park’s entrance. Additional safety measures are planned including: new lighting along the underpass on S Commercial Ave; two stop signs at the intersection of S Commercial Ave and S Anthony Ave; and two crosswalks on S Commercial Ave. Visitor parking is planned for the site under the Skyway on the west side of S Commercial Ave. Vendor/staff parking is planned for the bay east of the kiosk area. The site is also accessible by bicycle, through the proposed extension of CDOT planned bicycle lanes along S Commercial Ave, and the addition of two Divvy stations on S Commercial Ave. Bicycle racks are located on the park grounds.
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Iconic Image
South Chicago Underline Brick Yard
Team 01 Andrew Jennings Spencer McNeil
G3 G3
Victoria Grzyb Claudia Barrett
U2 U1
The Brick Yard is an open ended urban landscape designed to act as a landmark destination for South Chicago as well as provide space and infrastructure for various community activities and local small businesses. The landscape itself is a collection of steel arches scattered across an array of undulating brick modules that raise and lower to generate spaces for unstructured socialization as well as larger planned community events. The use of Chicago brick and steel speaks to the community’s industrial history while a gradient of color generated from Commercial Avenue’s streetscape washes over the site with a palette that speaks to the character and personality of the existing neighborhood. The end of the site along Commercial Avenue is anchored with a building which provides tenant space for a local small business such as a café. This permanent resident would activate the site with its customer base as well as provide facilities such as toilet rooms that could be used by all brick yard visitors. Just outside the café the brick modules are stepped to act as outdoor seating. This space located along the street and adjacent to the bus stop, divvy station, and bike racks, becomes an ideal meeting location or hangout spot for anyone beginning or ending their day as a patron along Commercial Avenue. The middle portion of the site is dedicated to play. The brick modules are stacked higher for climbing and large slides invite children and adults alike to have fun. This raised area continues into a mezzanine space which steps down into the other end of the site which is anchored with a larger open space and stage which can be used for performances or other events such as farmers markets or festivals.
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South Chicago Underline Brick Yard
COMMUNITY GROUPS 1. Healing Through the Word Ministry 2. Casa Esperanza Project 3. Apostolic Word of Life Ministries 4. Gabaon Baptist Church 5. Total Learning Child Care Center 6. Words of Deliverance Full Gospel Church Inc 7. Le Penseur Youth Services 8. Community Involvement Association 9. Higher Love Ministries 10. Grace Emmanuel Community 11. Visionary Leaders Network 12. Belize Ex Service League of Chicago Inc 13. Christ Deliverance Church 14. Restoration Tabernacle Church 15. Majid Al-Taqua 16. Brothers in Christ Outreach Ministries 17. Grace Apostolic Faith Church 18. Inspiring Children of the Incarcerated 19. End Times Gospel Ministries- C O G I C 20. Epic Academy 21. Corazon A Corazon 22. Just Christ Ministries 23. Germano Millgate Tenan 24. Centro Communitario Juan Diego Incorporated 25. Ewe Association of Chicago 26. Latino Resource Institute 27. Christ Life Church Chicago 28. New Holy Trinity Temple Inc 29. Royal Charitable Foundation 30. Power Circle Congregation 31. Power Circle Development Association 32.Toastmasters International 33. Family Rescue 34. Alianza Leadership Institute 35. Shining Star Youth & Community Services 36. Skyart NFP 37. Our Lady of Guadalupe 38. Centro De Trabajadores Unidos 39. Claretian Associates 40. Greater Rising Sun Missionary Baptist Church 41. Trinity Resurrection United Church 42. New Prospect Missionary Baptist Church 43. National Shrine of St. Jude 44. South Chicago YMCA 45. Immaculate Conception 46. Bowen High School 47. Baker College Prep 48. Chamber of Commerce 50. Cornerstone Church of Chicago 53. Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church
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Proposal
Iconic Image
South Chicago Loop
Team 02 Jana Yeboah G3 Jacqueline Buckley G1
Donovan Aranda
U3
Given the length of the site, this proposal divides the park into three programs: entertainment, play, and sport, with green space spread throughout the entire site. The main organizational proposal of the site is a combination running track, sitting area, and stair that engages most of the site. One lap around the track is a quarter of a mile, providing the perfect space for casual runners, walkers, and perhaps schools in the area to come to exercise. This proposal aims to engage the surrounding neighborhood, provide a safe place for the community to gather, and breathe some life back into an abandoned part of the city. To engage Commercial Avenue and its existing tenants, the park will commission local artists to paint murals on the concrete walls that lead up to the site, along the sidewalk. Within the park, murals will be painted on the existing walls. There will also be a kiosk in the middle of the entertainment space that will have brochures and maps that highlight other areas of importance along Commercial Avenue and in South Chicago. The proposal also includes several safety measures to make sure members of the community feel safe spending time in the park. Because visibility through the long site is a concern, this proposal utilizes a diamond metal mesh that will allow site lines to be maintained, even through the structural objects located in the park. The material is first used as one approaches the site, along the existing sidewalks as a low fence, to provide a safer route for pedestrian traffic. The diamond mesh is also used for all the main structural elements in the park, including the playground equipment. In the entertainment area, there is a low stage for dancing and spoken word performances. There is also an eight-foot-high bridge that houses restrooms, a snack bar, a place to rent sports equipment and also acts as an elevated viewing for the entire park. Between the entertainment and play spaces, the running track crosses over itself, with one path at ground level and the next at seven feet high so there are no collisions. This crossing also provides a visual separation between those in the entertainment space and those in the play space. Between the play space and the sports court hangs a climbing net that simultaneously acts as a playscape for children while providing a backstop for the court. The sports court is a multifunctional hard surface that will allow multiple sports to take place. In the winter, the court can be converted into an ice rink, to keep the space functional year-round.
Proposal
Iconic Image
The Gateway to South Chicago
Team 05 Yamileth Ovalle Hernan Rosas Hunter Sikorski
G1 G1 U4
Alexa Long Hafsa Sameen Ivan Ramirez
U3 BA3 U1
The Vision: The community of South Chicago has a rich history of immigrant settlement, hard work in the steel industry, and religious and ethnic groups. A community as diverse as South Chicago is deserving of a common space that caters to all age and social groups. By utilizing the unused space beneath the Chicago Skyway along South Commercial Avenue as a low maintenance public park, more residents can have a destination to go to after school, after church and at all other times of the day. A new public park means that local businesses benefit as well. A new park with attractive amenities such as a soccer court basketball court and a family play area means more visitors coming to the park located just south of the main commercial corridor. This means more local and outside clientele for the nearby businesses. This proposal also includes the potential for local businesses to make a personal investment in this proposed park (ie. Donating recycled metal or tires for play equipment and park furniture) and receive advertisement for their business in the form of the businesses name on the equipment. The park design reflects the community it is in. The proposed seating design pays homage to the steel I-beams manufactured here in the past. Murals reflect the art culture in the community and park’s many walls and pillars are perfect canvases. The ground design is an eclectic mix of color and pattern centering around a universal multipurpose space. The sports fields also reflect the growing demand of urban youth for these facilities. Looking forward, this proposed park adds social and monetary value to the community, immediately benefitting South Chicago and has the potential of bringing new residents to the neighborhood. Not only can it serve as a literal gateway to the neighborhood but can also indicate to visitors what lies ahead in the commercial corridor.
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Single Family Two-Flat Townhouse Manufacturing Planned Development
Church Bank/ATM Restaurant School/College Prep
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Proposal
Iconic Image
The R3 Project
Team 06 YuPing Sun Julia Lobdell
G3 U3
Angelica Perez Anthony Neri
U3 U1
Due to Chicago’s rich history, there is no denying the fact that each of its neighborhoods are steeped in a story that makes them diverse and unique. The South Chicago neighborhood is no exception to this; developed by James H. Bowen, South Chicago flourished as a steel mill site, thereby bringing people from all walks of life to the area. Today, due to the steel mill being shut down, the neighborhood began to decline- however not once losing sight of its roots. The R3 Project seeks to reclaim, renovate, and renew the commercial strip through the addition of public program, thereby bringing people from across the neighborhood and surrounding areas to the district, generating revenue and helping to restore the area to its former glory. Open Gate Park, named for its welcoming atmosphere and role as the southern gateway to Commercial Avenue’s business district, seeks to be a space for everyone, regardless of age, race, or background. The Park introduces both recreation and art to the site. It has a sports area for organized athletic events, as well as a concrete sculptural form that promotes free play of all kids. However, the most significant feature of the park is that is it a blank canvas; quite literally, the park is bordered by a long wall, called the Art Corridor, where community members and groups can “adopt-a-wall” and add their own temporary or permanent art installation. This has the double benefit of bringing revenue and investment to the park while also providing the community with a creative space. Additional artistic expression is promoted by the accessible stage that bookends the back end of the park, which people of all abilities can access, and is free for public use to create a hub for entertainment that is open for all. The body of the space is tied together by an interactive sculpture that washes over the site like rippling waves, creating a topography of spaces that can be used for seclusion or gathering, work or play. The sculpture will also become the backbone for future projects and installations to grow from, such as swings, decorations, or new programs. Overall, Open Gate Park is a universal park that seeks to reclaim, renovate, and renew the South Chicago Neighborhood, as well as boost Commercial Avenue revenue by bringing in new people, as well as bringing out the people of the neighborhood and providing them a fun, safe, and unique space that respects the community’s rich and proud history.
The R3 Project Reclaim, Renovate, Renew
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20 ft.
25 ft.
35 ft.
I Transportation Diagram
Proposal
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Iconic Image
Mill Made Park
Team 07 Jacob McLaughlin Karam Odisho Julian Gonzalez
G3 U3 U2
Oscar Guzman-Franco U2
Standing as a shining example of the possible re-use of historical elements and materials to create a link between new and old serves as the strategy implemented into the underline site and the public amenity plan, Mill Made Park and the Commerce Loop. This strategy is not limited to just one site, it suggests that a strong bond between the multiple zones of the commercial district are connected by public transit, bike paths and aesthetically pleasing streetscapes. As part of the visionary public amenity plan, the New Commerce Loop serves as that connecting tissue between the South Chicago Commercial district and the neighborhoods in the surrounding area. Encouraging more pedestrian traffic through the district and linking areas that were normally seen as disconnected. Under the Chicago Skyway, lies the hidden potential of the south gate into the district, Mill Made Park. Visitors are greeted by reflective steel panels with â&#x20AC;&#x153;South Chicago Commercial Districtâ&#x20AC;? punched out, creating an attractive visual effect that is caused by the warping metal. The wall extends along the existing viaduct, the reflective properties extend the visual connections through the site as well as bringing in more reflected sunlight under the Chicago skyway. Wedged between the first structural supports is a repurposed rail car that could generate profit for Mill Made Park. Retrofitted with a small kitchen and freezer storage, the railcar is a permanent kiosk that facilitates multiple profit making entities including but not limited to selling refreshments to the park as well as leasing out to other venders that could take up temporary residency at the park. Moving deeper into the site, a play space for children and families where they can picnic on the available benches or find themselves crawling through the vertical playground, this rebar structure has an internal floorplate system that allows children to safely climb to the top, the highest vantage point of the site. As an additional feature to the vertical playground, large scale steel piping will act as slides and a climbing wall for the children. Beyond the play space is the entertainment stage, a place for celebrating some of the local heritage by allowing musicians, performers and speakers to serve as culture stimulation for the local population. As another possible revenue generating program, this stage could be rented for promotional events and private showings. The intimate setting of the seating mounds help elevate the observers but also serves as an important noise barrier between the play space and the stage without completely separating the two. The Mill Made Park and the Commerce Loop answer the call for access and profit generating program; expressing its individuality by tapping into what has made the South Chicago Commercial District so successful at the same time revitalizing the area forging new life into its proud roots.
COMMERCE LOOP KEY
render
COMMERCE DISTRICT BUS STOPS
RED LINE BLUE LINE ORANGE LINE GREEN LINE PINK LINE PURPLE LINE
Co m m er cia ia lA ve nu e
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Proposal
Signage Wall
Railcar Kiosk
Vertical Playground
Performance Space
Co m m er cia lA ve nu e
Iconic Image
Paddy Pavilion
Team 09 Maria Gunawan Victor Reyes Chen Huang
U4 U4 U2
Eric Alvarado Isabel Ferrel
U1 U1
Paddy Pavilion is an exhibition pavilion situated on the southern border of the South Chicago neighborhood. Its location allows for it to be a public amenity and give the community a little haven tucked underneath an underpass. With enough local support, it will be the perfect venue to escape the heavy city life and see some fantastic shows and presentations. It focuses on supplementing the nearby business, rather than prioritizing in producing its own revenue. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s divided into three unique zones that vary enough from one another to create individual ambiences. The zones are then themselves divided into three subzones, the seating, the exhibition space, and the food borderline. The seating, or paddies, run almost continuous as they flow into the space. The exhibition space gives local artist and business to alternate and demonstrate their latest project. As one progresses east, the intensity of the exhibition enlarges, leading the people to a grand pavilion space in which the neighborhood can host all the events that are now sparse. The layout attempts to persuade exhibitions to coordinate with the scheduled event in the pavilion space and compliment it either though conforming or contrasting. The food borderline is the border of the along the site, that is designated for food trucks and small concession stands of local and city business to provide food for the public. The project shows transition to a greener, contemporary epoch, but it also pays homage to the once prominent steel industry by hosting a rebar sculptural barrier at the very end of the walking procession.
Paddy Pavilion
S2 S1
S2
S1
Team 09
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Proposal
Iconic Image
Crescent Market
Team 11 Pedro Cedra Jeffrey Papierz Camille Castillo
U4 U3 U2
Angeliki Sykiotis Brianna Segoviano
U2 U1
“A circular open-air structure that is able to liberate us from the straight lines of everyday life and creates places for a shared experience.” It can be concluded that a truly successful business district requires three things: • For people to socialize within, whether in coffee shops, on the street, or elsewhere. • For businesses and merchants to have a sufficient clientele and to be able to make a significant profit. • Events and activities that will draw the attention of passers-by or even from other parts of town. Charged with revitalizing the commercial district of the neighborhood of South Chicago, it is largely through “The Curve,” that this project aims to accomplish that goal. If one looks closely, they can find many different sizes of curves. There is a method to this aspect of the plan, which serves to meet all stated requirements: The small ones with short convexity provide visitors with a place to sit, rest, and chat amongst themselves. Those of medium size create gateways that lead to a series of market kiosks encased within. The biggest arch frames an area for a stage. Curves can also be found serving other, more aesthetic roles inside and around the market. Lighting fixtures, bicycle racks, and even some of the kiosks themselves demonstrate prominent curves. But curves are by far not the only important factor. The market itself is, as already stated, comprised of a system of kiosks in varying styles. Many subtle, yet useful things can be found here, ranging from a good, simple meal, such as tacos or hot dogs, to items like hats or coffee. One of the kiosks is a bus stop, which is also serviced by a new shuttle bus line running to and from Downtown. Also around the site, you will notice a proverbial forest of pillars of varying heights. They serve several purposes, such as mounts for a large canvas roof for special activities and events or points from which strings of lights can be run, creating a bright spot for the after-hours crowd. Then, there are components with deeper meanings. Lining the walls of the Commercial Avenue railroad underpass are a series of murals depicting the history of the community from its foundation. In back, between the renowned Chicago Skyway and the tracks of the BNSF, is a covered watchtower for those who wish to relax away a part of their day observing the many trains that pass by or the endless stream of cars on the highway. Lastly, the railroad embankment itself serves several functions. The once barren concrete wall now hosts a well-sized mushroom farm, with crops grown for sale to local restaurants and markets. Those seeking lessons on urban farming can also take courses here. Finally, hidden from view within the embankment is a series of tunnels that at one point served patrons of the Pennsylvania Railroad, but now host a large model railway that illustrates the importance of the railroads themselves within the past of this neighborhood.
Proposal
Iconic Image
South Work Sport Park
Team 12 Jacob Hatley Kamil Kapica
U4 U4
Emilio Balderas
U2
An underutilized urban space situated beneath the canopy of the I-90 Skyway stands as a historical token to the advancement of technology and second nature interventions of mankind. Transforming from a passenger train depot for the Pennsylvania Railroad to an infrastructural footprint for interstate commuters, the land below awaits activation for the underserved pedestrian community of South Chicago. A topographical intervention in the form of an informal playground matched with the structure of a basketball complex marks the beginnings of a youth activity center capable of engaging the community’s children and acting as a gateway between neighborhoods. The site borders Commercial Avenue on its western limit, the BROC railroad embankment to the north, the outskirts of the Calumet River to the east, and 94th Place to the south. The natural barrier provided by the concrete retaining wall of the rail embankment acts as a datum line guiding the natural flow of all activity, programs, and patrons of the park. From the embankment, a linear concept was derived in order to control circulation and shape program within the site’s given context. Circulation is situated along the northern edge of the site, with activities both structured and unstructured occurring in the central spine, and a leisure zone stands dedicated toward the site’s exterior; providing dispersion from roadway traffic for active park patrons. The circulation is contained within a long tunnel, hosting a tempered respite zone and the site’s services (restrooms & concessions). Unstructured activity occurs in the first two bays of the site in the form of a topographical land activation scheme through a deck surface draped in a poured rubber flooring membrane. The topography acts as an informal playground with play pits, slides, a ramp, and climbing obstacles – while simultaneously acting as a multifunctional surface which envelopes the circulation tunnel as a roof, provides seating for both bus patrons and basketball voyeurs, and stands as an activated ground plane. The topography appears in the form of poured slag akin to the land expansion efforts taken by the Illinois Steel Works; large slag buckets stand atop the circulation tunnel and shape the activity space below. Finally, leisure is contained to the southern arm of the site, with the topography forming two seating areas facing the courts giving way to a pavilion located on an arterial passageway intersecting the site. The open layout allows the plan to maintain multiple schemes of operation when not in its standard format, allowing for Sunday Markets and seasonal activation of an ice rink, or even an Easter egg hunt. Additionally, the flexibility of the site allows for it to impact the growth of the nearby vacant plots of land labeled in the Site Map, holding up as a gateway to South Chicago’s Commercial District.
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Proposal
Iconic Image
A Park for Everyone
Team 13 Jorge Mayorga Simin Paksirat Lindsey Louisma
U4 G1 U2
Jessica Grasty Monica Mulica
U1 U1
After hearing what the community of the South Side Chicago desired to have in a park we considered designing a spacious park with diverse activities that would be welcome by the community. We use the columns to divide the site into the four different parcels and we assigned a different program to each parcel. We incorporated program such as basketball court, seating, rock climbing and amphitheater for music performance. We incorporated space to play basketball, seating, rock climbing and play music. We also designed a park so that it could be activated as a farmers market on the weekend mornings, utilizing the narrow alley parallel to park as open area for farmers truck to park and set their selling tents. We propose re-routing the Bus 30 line to make a stop near the park. Starting from the parcel adjacent to Commercial Ave. we designated that space as the main entrance. We designed the entrance so it resembles a traditional park but yet we designed to be eye catching. We left open space in the garden area so local artist could have opportunity to show case their art installations. The second parcel is activated by a full basketball court being one of the main activities that people would love to have in a park. A plaza that is composed of a variety of different size extruded circles is placed on the edge. It creates platforms for playground and extrusions of circles provide seating area. Adjacent to the basketball court we place washrooms and drinking fountains. In the third parcel the circular plaza continues as transitional connection between the different programs. We activated the third parcel considering the hill adjacent to site and implemented rock climbing mounds for children to play. The rock climbing also acts as a sound barrier from noise coming from the traffic passing in Commercial Avenue. From the rock climbing you transition to an amphitheater. The act of playing and practicing music was one aspect the community enjoys to do. So we designed an amphitheater with a stage set that has multi use. It has the platform for concert performance, platforms to perform parkour, and platforms that can be utilize as tables so farmers can have a place to display and sale their produce. The slope of the hill adjacent to the fourth parcel was utilized as a stair case seating. The seating tiers are big enough in width so people can comfortable seat, lay back, or have a picnic. The seating of the amphitheater is designed so it could also be utilized as mini stages so the people could practice performing in the circular pockets that are implemented.
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Winning entries were announced at the Jury Show & Reception. Jurors: David Brown, Associate Director & Associate Professor, UIC School of Architecture Sarah Dunn, Associate Professor, UIC School of Architecture Co-Founder of UrbanLab Competition Hosts: Meghan Funk, Competition Coordinator, UIC School of Architecture Dan Lira, Executive Director, South Chicago Chamber of Commerce Jack Rocha, Project Manager for Commercial Avenue Revitalization Plan, UIC Great Cities Institute Special thanks to: Tyler Lausch (UIC Arch), Julia Di Castri (UIC Arch), and Jackson Morsey (UIC GCI).