In collaboration with renowned architect Stanley Tigerman and veteran urban planner William Martin, Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) opens the new temporary exhibition Design on the Edge: Chicago Architects Reimagine Neighborhoods September 21 in the atrium of the historic Santa Fe building on Michigan Ave.
Design on the Edge presents plans created by seven teams of nine Chicago-based architects to reimagine seven of the city’s neighborhoods to encourage street life, retail districts and dense housing around the existing “L” transit system.
From neighborhoods replacing streets and cars with pedestrian boulevards to a magnetic levitation monorail, the concepts in this exhibition aim to inspire Chicagoans to imagine a more connected, vibrant and livable city.
“Design on the Edge aligns with the mission of the Chicago Architecture Foundation by engaging Chicagoans, architects, and civic leaders, including the new mayoral administration, in reimagining their communities,” said CAF President and CEO Lynn Osmond. “CAF, a leading forum for public learning and engagement in dialogue about the built world, is thrilled to be the venue for these stimulating projects, which continue Chicago’s tradition of bold thinking.”
The architects who created Design on the Edge are: Stanley Tigerman, John Ronan, Jeanne Gang, Ross Wimer, Darryl Crosby, Doug Garofalo with Xavier Vendrell, Sarah Dunn, Martin Felsen, and Patricia Saldaña Natke. The exhibition builds on the 2005 project, Visionary Chicago Architecture, in which seven teams of two Chicago architects devised plans for seven areas in downtown Chicago. Just as Visionary Chicago Architecture was presented to Mayor Richard M. Daley, Design on the Edge will be presented to Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
“The charge to each of the seven teams was to envision what the locus of energy in outlying neighborhoods might become in a yet-to-be-determined future and what such energy might bring to the city as a whole,” said Tigerman. “This alternative visionary effort reimagines satellite communities within Chicago’s city limits were once dependant on city life and now have their own reason for being.”
The seven teams and the project sites assigned to them by Tigerman are:
John Ronan: Loyola Red Line stop/Rogers Park Jeanne Gang: Addison Red Line stop/Wrigleyville Doug Garofalo/Xavier Vendrell: Addison Brown Line stop/Roscoe Village Sarah Dunn/Martin Felsen: Western Blue Line stop/Near West Side Patricia Saldaña Natke: 18th Street Pink Line stop/Pilsen Ross Wimer: Midway Airport Orange Line stop/Southwest Side Darryl Crosby: 35th Street Green Line stop/Bronzeville
The Design on the Edge exhibition will surround the popular Chicago Model City in the atrium of the historic Santa Fe building, and will also include a companion catalogue for sale in the CAF Shop. The publication contains illustrations of each project and essays by art historian Paul Jaskot and co- organizers Tigerman and William Martin. BD+C
Related Stories
Retail Centers | May 3, 2024
Outside Las Vegas, two unused office buildings will be turned into an open-air retail development
In Henderson, Nev., a city roughly 15 miles southeast of Las Vegas, 100,000 sf of unused office space will be turned into an open-air retail development called The Cliff. The $30 million adaptive reuse development will convert the site’s two office buildings into a destination for retail stores, chef-driven restaurants, and community entertainment.
Codes and Standards | May 3, 2024
New York City considering bill to prevent building collapses
The New York City Council is considering a proposed law with the goal of preventing building collapses. The Billingsley Structural Integrity Act is a response to the collapse of 1915 Billingsley Terrace in the Bronx last December.
Architects | May 2, 2024
Emerging considerations in inclusive design
Design elements that consider a diverse population of users make lives better. When it comes to wayfinding, some factors will remain consistent—including accessibility and legibility.
K-12 Schools | Apr 30, 2024
Fully electric Oregon elementary school aims for resilience with microgrid design
The River Grove Elementary School in Oregon was designed for net-zero carbon and resiliency to seismic events, storms, and wildfire. The roughly 82,000-sf school in a Portland suburb will feature a microgrid—a small-scale power grid that operates independently from the area’s electric grid.
AEC Tech | Apr 30, 2024
Lack of organizational readiness is biggest hurdle to artificial intelligence adoption
Managers of companies in the industrial sector, including construction, have bought the hype of artificial intelligence (AI) as a transformative technology, but their organizations are not ready to realize its promise, according to research from IFS, a global cloud enterprise software company. An IFS survey of 1,700 senior decision-makers found that 84% of executives anticipate massive organizational benefits from AI.
Codes and Standards | Apr 30, 2024
Updated document details methods of testing fenestration for exterior walls
The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) updated a document serving a recommended practice for determining test methodology for laboratory and field testing of exterior wall systems. The document pertains to products covered by an AAMA standard such as curtain walls, storefronts, window walls, and sloped glazing. AAMA 501-24, Methods of Test for Exterior Walls was last updated in 2015.
MFPRO+ News | Apr 29, 2024
World’s largest 3D printer could create entire neighborhoods
The University of Maine recently unveiled the world’s largest 3D printer said to be able to create entire neighborhoods. The machine is four times larger than a preceding model that was first tested in 2019. The older model was used to create a 600 sf single-family home made of recyclable wood fiber and bio-resin materials.
K-12 Schools | Apr 29, 2024
Tomorrow's classrooms: Designing schools for the digital age
In a world where technology’s rapid pace has reshaped how we live, work, and communicate, it should be no surprise that it’s also changing the PreK-12 education landscape.
Adaptive Reuse | Apr 29, 2024
6 characteristics of a successful adaptive reuse conversion
In the continuous battle against housing shortages and the surplus of vacant buildings, developers are turning their attention to the viability of adaptive reuse for their properties.
AEC Innovators | Apr 26, 2024
National Institute of Building Sciences announces Building Innovation 2024 schedule
The National Institute of Building Sciences is hosting its annual Building Innovation conference, May 22-24 at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C. BI2024 brings together everyone who impacts the built environment: government agencies, contractors, the private sector, architects, scientists, and more.
