CDOT NEWS PRESS RELEASE
January 14, 2005

CHICAGO—Four Chicago-based architects have been chosen as winners in a design competition for five new pedestrian bridges along Chicago’s lakefront, the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) announced today.
The announcement marks the completion of the city’s first-ever bridge design competition.
The winners are:
North Avenue: Phillips Swager Associates
LSD at Main Branch: Wight and Company with Edward Windhorst Architects
35th Street: Teng
41st/43rd Street: Cordogan, Clark & Associates

The competition, begun last year, drew submissions from 23 architects from around the world. Participants were asked to submit designs for as many as five locations along Lake Shore Drive: North Avenue, the Main Branch of the Chicago River, 35th Street and 41st/43rd Streets.

The designs were placed on display at the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s “Bridging the Drive” exhibit, which has been on display since October 14, 2005. The designs will remain on display through January 20.
An evaluation committee of Chicagoans from the public and private sector, including architects, engineers, designers and community representatives, selected the finalists from a pool of 67 submissions.

“The committee spent a great deal of time reviewing and evaluating each design,” said CDOT Commissioner Miguel d’Escoto. “They discussed a wide range of issues, from architectural styles to constructability issues to how each design best fit the constraints of the site.”

“This was much more than a beauty contest,” d’Escoto continued. “It was a chance to come up with some creative and visually interesting ways to improve people’s access to the lakefront.” “QUOTE,” from Chicago Architecture Foundation.

The City is currently seeking design funding for each of the bridges, estimated to cost between $5 million and $20 million each. CDOT has already secured design funding for the 35th, 41st and 43rd Street bridges. Should construction funds be secured this year, work on the first bridges could begin as early as 2006.

To view the winners and all the pedestrian bridge design competition entries, visit the CAF web site at www.architecture.org