Chicago’s river runs through the city’s very heart, right next to its famous Loop business and commercial core. Connecting it with surrounding suburbs, this important feature has been playing an important role in the city’s development for decades. Yet up until today large chunks of it remained disused. Now, a significant part of this once-industrial space has been transformed into a welcoming 1.5 mile long promenade, named the Chicago Riverwalk.
Ross Barney Architects collaborated with landscape architecture firm Sasaki to reclaim this valuable piece of urban land for the public and redefine it into a ‘dynamic space, lined with public amenities, restaurants, cultural activities and access to natural habitats for city residents and visitors alike.’ The project’s aim was to ‘return the river to Chicago and return Chicagoans to the river’, says lead architect Carol Ross Barney.
The recently launched project has already proven very popular, offering several leisure and hospitality activities that will transform Chicago’s urban experience
Recently launched to the public, this represents the final phase in an important city project, which has been ongoing since 2009, when its first stage was completed. Further works were finished by 2015, bringing developments up to this final phase that includes six brand new riverside areas that are especially designed to enhance the way Chicagoans interact with the riverbanks.
There’s a plaza, where visitors can simply relax and sunbathe; a series of piers that highlight the river’s ecology; and the Broadwalk’s sloping bridge and floating gardens – all conceived to bring tourists and locals close to the water in a meaningful way. Several activities are offered across the stretch of the project, ready to provide an eager crowd with a range of leisure and hospitality options, no doubt set to transform Chicago’s urban experience.
The project was led by Chicago based practice Ross Barney, in collaboration with landscape architecture firm Sasaki
This third stage in the project's life included a selection of open areas where visitors can relax, learn about the river’s ecology and enjoy key design elements such as a sloping bridge and floating gardens
The project’s aim, says architect Carol Ross Barney, was to ‘return the river to Chicago and return Chicagoans to the river’
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Ross Barney Architects website and the Sasaki Associates website
-
'Design at its most ambitious': meet the 2025 Royal Designers for IndustryThe Royal Society for Arts announces the five new Royal Designers for Industry as well as two Honorary Royal Designers for Industry
-
A new art museum brings colour, quirk and a celebration of creativity to DohaLawh Wa Qalam: M. F. Husain Museum is awash with colour and character, courtesy of Indian architect Martand Khosla and the Qatar Foundation
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekThis week, the Wallpaper* team had its finger on the pulse of architecture, interiors and fashion – while also scooping the latest on the Radiohead reunion and London’s buzziest pizza
-
The Stahl House – an icon of mid-century modernism – is for sale in Los AngelesAfter 65 years in the hands of the same family, the home, also known as Case Study House #22, has been listed for $25 million
-
Houston's Ismaili Centre is the most dazzling new building in America. Here's a look insideLondon-based architect Farshid Moussavi designed a new building open to all – and in the process, has created a gleaming new monument
-
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fountainhead will be opened to the public for the first timeThe home, a defining example of the architect’s vision for American design, has been acquired by the Mississippi Museum of Art, which will open it to the public, giving visitors the chance to experience Frank Lloyd Wright’s genius firsthand
-
Clad in terracotta, these new Williamsburg homes blend loft living and an organic feelThe Williamsburg homes inside 103 Grand Street, designed by Brooklyn-based architects Of Possible, bring together elegant interiors and dramatic outdoor space in a slick, stacked volume
-
This ethereal Miami residence sprouted out of a wild, jungle-like gardenA Miami couple tapped local firm Brillhart Architecture to design them a house that merged Florida vernacular, Paul Rudolph and 'too many plants to count’
-
Tour Cano House, a Los Angeles home like no other, full of colour and quirkCano House is a case study for tranquil city living, cantilevering cleverly over a steep site in LA’s Mount Washington and fusing California modernism with contemporary flair
-
How Maggie’s is redefining cancer care through gardens designed for healing, soothing and liberatingCancer support charity Maggie’s has worked with some of garden design’s most celebrated figures; as it turns 30 next year, advancing upon its goal of ‘30 centres by 30’, we look at the integral role Maggie’s gardens play in nurturing and supporting its users
-
An ocean-facing Montauk house is 'a coming-of-age, a celebration, a lair'A Montauk house on Hither Hills, designed by Hampton architects Oza Sabbeth, is wrapped in timber and connects its residents with the ocean
