© Kate Joyce Studios
The third and final phase of the Chicago Riverwalk is officially open to the public. Designed by Ross Barney Architects, the 1.5 mile long promenade revitalizes an underutilized industrial area into an active public space featuring restaurants, cultural activities and amenities while reconnecting the Chicago River to the urban fabric of the city.
© Kate Joyce Studios
“The swampy Chicago River gave birth to arguably the greatest city of the 20th Century,” said design leader Carol Ross Barney. “In Chicago’s formative years, the river was its lifeline, brimming with traffic. Burnham built his 1909 plan on a civic waterway and promenade along the river. We were entrusted with the responsibility of to finally complete that vision and transform what had become a postindustrial leftover into a 21st century urban waterfront.”
© Kate Joyce Studios
© Kate Joyce Studios
The 15-year-long project was completed in 3 phases. Phase 1, completed in 2009, includes Chicago’s Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial, Wabash Plaza, and the Bridgehouse Museum Plaza, while phases 2 and 3 are home to six “conceptual, outdoor rooms” each designed to interact with the waterfront in a unique way.
© Kate Joyce Studios
Joining the phase 2 additions, “the Marina,” “the Cove,” and the “River Theater” (completed in 2015), will be the “Water Plaza,” featuring a sundeck and children’s fountain; “the Jetty,” an interactive river ecology learning area; and “the Boardwalk,” a space for relaxing and enjoying views of nearby floating gardens.
© Kate Joyce Studios
© Kate Joyce Studios
Designed to act as the missing seam between Wacker Drive’s Beaux Arts architecture and the natural landscape of the River, the architects hope that the Chicago Riverwalk will become a public amenity that promotes the stewardship and protection of one of Chicago’s most precious resources, the river. Looking forward, the riverwalk has been designed to be expanded into a swimming area for a future when the water is clean and swimmable.
News via Ross Barney Architects.
Sig Nordal 