Chicago, Illinois
Archer & Ashland
Spring 2003
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On Chicago´s near southwest side, Archer and Ashland avenues cross near an Orange Line train station and the Stevenson Expressway, in a way that manages to combine urban congestion with suburban inaccessibility. To get off the El and walk to the Riverside Square shopping center a tenth of a mile south is at best an unpleasant experience — and when you arrive, there’s no square, and only the dumpsters have a view of the Chicago River. The El station itself is a glass-and-metal box with nothing in it; outside, the expressway overpass defines a gargantuan, noisy space full of gigantic concrete columns; the big bus turnaround outside the station leaves it unclear where it´s safe to walk; and the traffic along Ashland doesn’t seem likely to slow down for anything.
The studio sought to allow car usage and storage while creating a walkable, pedestrian-friendly environment – without significant demolition. Key to the project was creating smaller, more manageable spaces. For instance, an arcade running south along the east side of Ashland would contain fast food, a copy shop, and a fitness club – all activity centers and potential destinations; on the west side of Ashland next to the Stevenson would be
well-soundproofed loft and studio apartments.
Riverside Square´s parking area would be largely repurposed into four small blocks of new businesses and a park. Additional bridges across the Chicago River would add connectivity to the nearby residential neighborhood, and a new magnet high school for the arts with a shared cinema complex would attract students and film buffs from throughout the city. Automated parking facilities (compact computer-controlled parking decks) would be located under the Stevenson and would replace most on-grade parking in the area. Combined with nearby upscale developments already in progress and the existing Bridgeport traditional neighborhood fabric, the studio´s concept would offer a variety of ways to walk home, and a variety of homes to walk to.
