New heights: a cable car line proposal to offer new perspective to Chicago visitors
Marks Barfield Architects, the team behind the iconic London Eye, has unveiled plans, in collaboration with Davis Brody Bond, to construct a new sky-high attraction to stretch through the heart of North America's Windy City. The proposed Chicago Skyline is a new cable car line, which will run next to the city's river and through the downtown district.
Designed to withstand Chicago’s constantly varying and sometimes hostile weather conditions, the project's aerial gondolas would be engineered to have an ecologically light footprint and will be able to hold over 3000 people per hour. At the same time, its guests will be able to enjoy unprecedented views of the city’s iconic skyline.
Linking the Navy Pier, the Chicago Lakefront, and the Riverwalk, the line is also planned to conveniently transport Chicago's students to and from school during the off-peak seasons. The bespoke system, specifically designed for the city, is predicted to cost $250 million US dollars to construct, but is forecasted to pull in an impressive $300 million annually due to the influx of tourism and trade these ingenious pods will generate.
The project aims to attract a new wave of international tourists to Chicago. Should it get the go-ahead, the scheme hopes to become a new iconic project for the Windy City.
'The Chicago Skyline could do for Chicago what the London Eye has done for London, and become a very identifiable landmark within the city, driving tourism and prosperity,' says David Marks, director at Marks Barfield Architects. 'Gently fitting in and standing out at the same time, it will allow local people and visitors alike to appreciate the city and its world-class architecture from a completely new perspective.'
INFORMATION
For more information on the Chicago Skyline cable car, visit Marks Barfield Architects' website
Image: F10 Studios
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
Colourful card game wins Design Museum’s Design Ventura competition
Annual design competition Design Ventura was won by students from The Piggott School, who created a fun I Spy-inspired card game
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Tour a Chilean pavilion perched on the coast: a sanctuary for sleep and star-gazing
Algarrobo-based architecture studio Whale! has designed a Chilean pavilion for rest and relaxation, overlooking a nature reserve on the Pacific coast
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Step into Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron's dreamy photographs in London
'Portraits to Dream In' is currently on show at London's National Portrait Gallery
By Katie Tobin Published
-
Shigeru Ban’s mini Paper Log House welcomed at The Glass House
'Shigeru Ban: The Paper Log House' is shown at The Glass House in New Canaan, USA as the house museum of American architect Philip Johnson plays host to the Japanese architect’s model temporary home concept
By Adrian Madlener Published
-
Ray Phoenix to rise in Arizona
Ray Phoenix housing project launches, designed by Johnston Marklee, who worked with Lamar Johnson Collaborative, for property experts Ray and Vela
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
A low-energy farmhouse provides a rural escape in North Carolina
This low-energy farmhouse is a net zero architectural re-set for a Californian client, an East Coast relocation for a more engaged and low-key lifestyle
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
A Petra Island house rises from Frank Lloyd Wright's original drawings
Based on Frank Lloyd Wright drawings, the cantilevering Petra Island Massaro House, located in New York’s Hudson Valley, is now open to visitors
By Craig Kellogg Published
-
An Upper West Side apartment by General Assembly nods to its history
An Upper West Side apartment in New York, born out of the reimagining of two neighbouring units, is refreshed by General Assembly for a young family
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
New York's Leica store echoes the brand's blend of heritage and innovation
Leica store throws open its doors in New York's Meatpacking District, courtesy of Brooklyn based Format Architecture Office
By Adrian Madlener Published
-
Hudson Valley Residence is a low-lying retreat that seamlessly blends into the horizon
Designed by HGX Design, Hudson Valley Residence is a scenic home offering unobstructed views across the Catskill Mountains in Upstate New York
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Boise Passive House’s bold gestures support an environmentally friendly design
Boise Passive House by Haas Architecture combines sleek, contemporary design and environmental efficiency
By Ellie Stathaki Published