DLK
[North Avenue and Chicago River]
Architect: DLK Architecture, Chicago—Marc A. Supinger (senior architect)
[35th, 41st, and 43rd Streets]
Architect: DLK Architecture, Chicago—Diane Legge Kemp (principal) Engineer: Earth Tech, Inc. — Lawrence L. Kirchner (project engineer), Eric Lindemann (project manager)
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35th STREET | 41st /43rd STREETS | CHICAGO RIVER | NORTH AVENUE |
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Architect's Statement
CONTEXT PLAN
The new 35th Street Bridge is not only a pedestrian bridge, but it is a boulevard-like extension of 35th Street connecting the City and the park - Urbs in Horto. This street-bridge links Comiskey Park on the West, the CTA Red Line, IIT, the CTA Green Line, lively commercial and residential areas, educational and medical facilities, historic monuments and north-south avenues, and new mixed use developments to Chicago's lakefront with its spectacular views and recreational amenities.
VICINITY PLAN
West Promenade: Beginning at Cottage Grove, the 35th Street Bridge is a landscaped promenade with artwork, commemorative sculptures and neighborhood activities. The gradual rise of the approach and the alignment with the street ensure that long views from the bridge back into the city are enhanced and that people on 35th street will be aware of the continuation of the street into the park. This promenade requires the closure of this portion of 35th Street to vehicular traffic and the creation of a cul-de-sac at Park Place.
New Station: A new rail station is proposed for this location to bring visitors and commuters to the near South Side, the hospital campus, IIT, and to the revitalized commercial and residential areas along 35th Street. The station could be built in the future as part of a phased public transit improvements campaign.
Pavilion: The central part of the bridge features a pavilion: covered and enclosed or partially enclosed space for the community and park users. The pavilion offers sheltered and spectacular views of the lakefront and Chicago skyline; and a 'greenhouse' environment for year round use. The pavilion, designed with the input from the adjoining community, will be in the great tradition of covered bridges throughout the world: bridges that integrate city life into their structures and become unique icons for those places.
East Promenade: Landscaped approaches to the eastern end of the bridge in the lakefront park have a gradual slope for pedestrians and cyclists to flow onto the bridges, eliminating the need for stairs and ADA ramps. The formal promenade is, literally, Urbs in Horto, and would incorporate urban artwork, benches, lighting and paving to express the cultural identity of this part of Chicago.
Prow: The extension of the 35th Street alignment ends in a 'prow' or pier extending into the lake. This marks 35th Street unmistakably as an important Chicago place and provides unique park activities for the area. We imagine a significant sculpture at this location the pier with visibility from miles around.
SITE SECTION AND ELEVATION
This drawing depicts the 35th Street Bridge from the South looking North, from Cottage Grove to Lake Michigan. The grade changes under the bridge range from 0' - 10' at the western promenade; 30' clear over the railroad tracks; 15+' clear over Lake Shore Drive; 15' to 0' at the highpoint view of the eastern promenade; and from 0' to 12' above the park and water. In all cases, high enough to afford spectacular views from an architectural structure, while promoting continuity and connectivity in keeping with other parkland structures along the lakefront.
LOWER LEVEL PLAN
This drawing shows the use of fill under the western and eastern promenades and the concrete piers to support the major bridge spans of 160' and 200.' Piers are located to provide the required clearances and protection at the tracks and Lake Shore Drive. At the lakeside, the potential use of the lower level for a comfort station, recreational activities and concessions is depicted.
PARTIAL PLAN
This drawing shows the western half of the bridge and a portion of the streetscaped approach. The eastern half of the bridge would be identical except that the bridge landing in the park would not have a lower level (station). In addition to seasonal and perennial plantings, the metal railings and concrete floor pattern will add color and texture to the interior of the bridge. The Pavilion offers ample space for permanent or temporary concessions, vending carts, display and seating, as well as performances and special events for all ages.
SECTIONS
These diagrams describe the walking surface of the bridge going from West to East: first as a streetscape at 35th and Cottage Grove; next as a sloped promenade on fill; then as a simple span, showing the continuous irrigated and insulated planters; then widened as the pavilion over the tracks and Lake Shore Drive; then as the highpoint promenade at the junction of park pathways; and finally, as the pier extending into the water, marked by a wind sculpture(s).
BRIDGE ELEVATION
This elevation drawing illustrates the three spans of the bridge connecting the 35th Street bluff on the West with the parkland on the West. The continuous concrete box beam is shown with plantings on the uncovered portions of the bridge at the West and East ends and two options for the bridge enclosure. To the left on the drawing, an open trellis work of lightweight metal and cables with a metal, standing seam roof. To the right is a fully glazed 'greenhouse' with a metal roof. Either or both options could be incorporated in the final design, depending on the community's interests in using the bridge.
NEW STATION ELEVATION
The proposed station incorporates an architectural vocabulary similar to the bridge above. Here the lightweight trellis structure is fully glazed as a canopy for sheltering passengers. Structural walls can be painted a brilliant complementary color.
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Architect's Statement
This bridge is a linear landscaped plaza, effectively extending the park back to the city edge, and bringing the park closer to city dwellers. The bridge has a distinct landscape character that changes seasonally, becoming an important neighborhood place in its own right. The same structural system we propose for 35th street is used to form continuous planting both in the center of the walking area and along the edges. We are proposing that the alignment be at ninety degrees to the tracks, as the street does not extend into the city as 35th does, thus it is a smaller scale and more local in character.
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Architect's Statement
DESIGN CONCEPT
A gossamer-winged structure gracefully parts and retracts into a heron-like profile. This motion is cradled in the paired, stainless eggs atop giant stilt legs.
This is a modern version of the bascule bridge. Its job is to support a new, multi-use translucent path.
From the lake and waterfront, this shimmering, yet minimally obtrusive structure, complements the twinkling Chicago skyline. The delicate bridge span structure is aligned with the upper level of the bi-level vehicular bridge on Lake Shore Drive. The new bridge structure, keeping within the existing structure truss depth, becomes a complementary accent to existing conditions.
The stilt legs allow uninterrupted access pedestrian activity below along the Lake Michigan waterfront, river walks, and DuSable Park.
The best surprise awaits the non-vehicular user. The bridge may be accessed from the lower level. Viewing windows will allow an unparalleled view of the lake, locks, and lakefront.
STRUCTURE
This movable bridge uses a dynamic structural system to create a modern landscape marker.
Two pairs of hinged triangulated trusses span the River at the upper Lake Shore Drive Bridge elevation. The bike path is supported by two sets of hinged trusses running in parallel.
A pair of hydraulic pistons with shives raise and extend a pair of tension cables, retracting the hinged trusses into the upright position. The shiny metal hydraulic tubes, and the raised profile of the trusses provide a dramatic image in the raised position to both bikes and vehicles on the existing bridge.
The machinery is housed in a pod that doubles as a pedestrian lookout and ramp to lower Lake Shore Drive. The pod is supported on four round columns and is nested under the Lake Shore Drive bridge span, complementing the existing historic bridge. The pods provide a light, reflective embellishment to the relatively dark bridge at the Chicago River.
The suspended pedestrian ramps provide counter balance, anchoring the bridge pylon supports, for a centenary curved suspension cable from which the steel exoskeleton bridge main span is suspended.
The bridge deck itself, consisting of a cast iron walking surface with glass bullet insets, would become an illuminated walk surface, due to reflections off the water below.
LIGHT
The bridge, as viewed from the Lakefront, would become transparent, accentuating the view of the city skyline from the River.
Filtered light would dance off the bridge to boats passing below. Pedestrian shadows create movement from above for the boaters and park goers below.
Illuminated at night, the bridge would be a floating glass plane creating a dynamic and unique feature on the skyline.
Spot lighting on the trusses, and at the top of the hydraulic piston shive, would accent the skyline and frame views along the Chicago River and Lake Michigan shoreline.
The pylon legs would be lit, and the pod would have a large under-belly beacon light that would shine down onto the parkland creating an appearance in the misty lake front. The beacon light would be combined with interior illumination that would emanate from the ovoid windows. A large point source, creating a unique radial light, beams out on to the lake, in effect a modern light house positioned at the river entry.
The sheen and reflective qualities of the polished stainless steel pod skin would lighten the existing bridge, capturing and redirecting the ambient light along the lake, signaling the river entrance, complementing and embellishing the skyline and the historic Lake Shore Drive bridge.
CIRCULATION PATH
The access to the bridge is from the proposed Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) bike path flyover. The proposed flyover ramp and bridge is intended to alleviate the neck down of the current path and mesh with the pedestrian/bike flows.
The elevated bridge deck and pod provide viewing for lakefront activities, leave the underside open to reduce the visual impact of the bridge on the shoreline, and maintain river walk access continuity. The pod would provide a ramp between the upper bike path and the existing lower level bike path on the LSD bridge.
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Architect's Statement
OBJET D'ART
NORTH AVENUE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE AT LAKE SHORE DRIVE IN LINCOLN PARK
DESIGN CONCEPT
A piece of art placed on the lakefront bridges into the park at this dynamic setting. The sculptural form simultaneously accents the driver's view of the skyline, adds an element of interest to the park, and creates an icon for the city dwellers looking out from their high rises.
STRUCTURE
This suspension bridge uses a dynamic structural system to create a minimalist modern landscape marker.
The suspended pedestrian ramps provide counter balance anchoring the canted asymmetric conical bridge pylon supports for a catenary curved suspension cable from which the steel exoskeleton bridge main span is suspended.
The bridge deck itself, consisting of a cast iron walking surface with glass bullet insets, would create a diaphanous counter point to the solidity of the curved ramps.
Dueling curved concrete pedestrian/bike access ramps slope up to the translucent main span.
LIGHT
The bridge as viewed from the drive would become transparent accentuating the view of the Gold Coast city skyline. The filtered light would play off the cars as they drive under and allow pedestrian shadows to create movement from above for the drivers below.
Illuminated at night, the bridge would be a floating glass plane, creating a dynamic and unique feature in the park. Spot lighting up the cables and sparkle lighting along the curved suspension cable would accent the skyline and frame the views up and down the Lake Michigan shoreline. The pylons would have beacon lights that would glow on the lakefront and create a signature footprint viewed from afar.
CIRCULATION PATH
The access ramp is curved to mesh with the pedestrian/bike flows to and from the lakefront bicycle path and distribute the park bound people in peak times.
The elevated ramps would provide viewing for lakefront activities and leave the underside open to reduce the visual impact of the bridge on the shoreline and harbor visitors during inclement weather. The underside could also shelter food vendor modules for lakefront patron services. The subtle curvature of the ramps would be sloped to meet ADA criteria and facilitate bike travel, while minimizing the intrusion on the beach at the water's edge.
CROSSING EXPERIENCE
To soften the architecture, the bridge would have an illuminated railing and planter boxes at the edge. Plantings at the base would create a green presence bringing the park up to the bridge. The width of the platform allows generous circulation, handling multiple transportation modes and groups of people. The width of the platform also reorients the focus of the pedestrian experience and downplays the hardness of the roadway and noise generated by the vehicular traffic below.
