CHICAGO (December 8, 2004) The City of Chicago has named the finalists in a design competition for five new pedestrian bridges along Chicago’s lakefront.

The finalists were announced today at the Chicago Architecture Foundation, where more than 60 design submissions to the competition are displayed from October 14, 2004 through January 20, 2005.

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.

"With the pedestrian bridges competition, Chicago has the opportunity to remake the identity of its lakefront," says CAF Curator Ned Cramer. "Many of the 23 architects' submissions push the conventions of bridge design in exciting new directions."

Among the finalists are designs by Chicago’s Murphy/Jahn and Lohan Caprile Goettsch, and Britain’s Richard Rogers Partnership. “The finalists’ designs show amazing creativity and innovation,” said CDOT Commissioner Miguel d’Escoto. “We are pleased and grateful for all those who’ve participated in this exciting process.”

An evaluation committee of Chicagoans from the public and private sector, including architects, engineers, designers and community representatives, selected the finalists.

“The committee reviewed and evaluated each design, then selected the finalists for each location. The committee discussed issues ranging from architectural significance to building materials to how each design fit the needs of the site,” d’Escoto said.

In early January, CDOT will announce the committee’s winning design choices for each location.
The pedestrian bridge design competition finalists are:

North Avenue	LSD at Main Branch (movable bridge)	35th Street	41st/43rd Street (bridges treated as a pair)
Murphy/Jahn	Murphy/Jahn	3D Design Studio	3D Design Studio
Phillips Swager Associates	Annex 5	Wight and Company with Edward Windhorst Architects	Cordogan Clark & Associates
OWP/P	Wight and Company with Edward Windhorst Architects	Teng
Lohan Caprile Goettsch		Richard Rogers Partnership

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