Project in Studio: Expansion of Ping Tom Park in Chicago.

[Erik Kepler]

   A few of us in studio are low in ideas once again.  I think this will be my third post regarding any insight or ideas people might have.  The first couple times proved pretty successful so hey, why not try it out again? Our main focus for this project is an expansion of the existing Ping Tom Memorial Park in Chicago, Ill.  Main focus of this project is to design the site for the community while meshing with the existing park.  This creates quite the difficulty for many of us because we do not have a Chinese background to pull from.  We had an opportunity to visit the site, but many of us had other priorities.  So we gather what we can from Google Earth, the internet, and photos taken by fellow students along with their descriptions.  So getting to the point, what should we focus on when creating the design for this expansion?

[Erik Kepler]

Thanks, I appreciate the input.

[Thomas J. Johnson]

“The CPD has been planning a second development-stage of the park’s nearly 11 undeveloped acres north of 18th Street. The plan calls for the development of the area’s shoreline and access points, as well as the construction of a cultural arts and recreational facility and a boathouse. The project is estimated to cost $38 million. In September 2009, a $10 million budget was approved to start development on the 6-acre (24,000 m2) area along the Chicago River.”

“…These funds will be used to build a retaining wall, fish habitats and sections of natural shoreline along the area’s 875 ft (267 m) of shoreline along the Chicago River. Open lawn and landscaped areas will be developed along with a fishing station and various pathways.”

It sounds like you have some program elements to work with (cultural arts – recreation center, fishing station, fish habitat, naturalized shoreline, retaining wall and a boathouse). There is a lot to play with right there… There is also the Chicago Dragon Boat Race, an annual event held at the park (you could have a lot of fun incorporating those themes into the design)

One of the challenges you face is how to connect the two sites, separated by 18th St. It looks like you could connect the two via paths under the bridge. How do you make that feel safe and welcoming? You could also go over the bridge and create a gateway to Chinatown… or maybe you don’t have to go over the road to make a gateway…

What is the forest like on the North side of 18th St? Is it worth preserving some of those trees? It looks like people have worn paths through that forest. Why have they chosen those paths? Are they significant? Are they worth incorporating into your design?

There are so many cool design elements around that site! Boat yards, railroad tracks, bridges, river, stone, concrete, steel…Chinese culture/design. If you guys can’t come up with ideas for that site or if some of you “had other priorities” when you visited the site, you should choose another career. Seriously. There is no shame in that… Personally, I’m all fired up about your project. How cool to get to design a portion of the Chicago River in China Town!

Get a few of your friends from class who are serious about the program, go back to the site with your cameras and sketchbooks and hang out all day. Go explore the neighborhood, check out the industrial areas, have lunch at one of the local restaurants, talk to locals about what they’d like to see happen… go get out there!

[Rob Halpern]

“Get a few of your friends from class who are serious about the program, go back to the site with your cameras and sketchbooks and hang out all day. Go explore the neighborhood, check out the industrial areas, have lunch at one of the local restaurants, talk to locals about what they’d like to see happen… go get out there!”

I strongly agree. You and your fellows may have other priorities, but this is where you learn. Go do it. No short-cut of asking colleagues will teach you what this exercise could.

[Erik Kepler]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the feedback, we do have a lot to consider, unfortunately we have less than two weeks before the final project. We really aren’t looking for short-cuts but more like small nudges in certain directions, we’ve got our concepts so we’ll start looking at different aspects of chinese culture along with the options you have provided us. Once again, thank you for your insight, we all really appreciate it.

[Amy Verel]

I’m sorry to be harsh, but I find your solicitation merits a tough response. I’m confused – did you personally visit the site or not? Maybe you’re low on ideas because “many of you” have “other priorities” besides visiting and understanding your site. What do you perceive as your duty to your own academic/creative work? When I read that, I was hoping you were located in another state, aka in possession of a valid economic excuse. Google Earth for a site 3 hours from you? Are you serious? I hope you’re that honest with the critics at your review for your final project. If they’re any good, they’ll be as incredulous as I am.

Also, your third post looking for insight or ideas? You’re coming down to the wire on your deadline and looking for basic ideas/nudges from (far too helpful) strangers on the internet? Not having a Chinese background is not the problem here. I dearly hope I’m misunderstanding the situation based on your presentation of it because despite what you say, it does look like you’re looking for shortcuts. Please convince me I’m mistaken and then go to the library, take out a book on Chinese landscapes, and go visit the effing site.

[Frank Varro]

The non-shortcut would be to go to the site.

[Les Ballard]

Well!

Buy a mah jong set and read the instructions. Create a grass or flower dragon – an imperial one from the old days. Allow for cold and wet weather gatherings with a temple area covering buddhism and more. Insert gas on meters for open air heaters and flares and even gas collectors making methane and fertilizer. Have open covered area with seating and spaces for outdoor food stalls as a cafe. Add a modern automat with western drinks and foods. Use cctv to police and use low light polluttion lamps for night time. Add a separate tower or tube to view night sky. Allow an astronomy club. Have as a theme the sign in the Chinese horoscope when you will open. Each sign runs through the elements and there are earth split into wood and metal as well as air, fire and water. A metal dragon like me is not an air dragon so get it right. Create borders of different colours representing elements, eg all blue flowers plus white in the middle separating them. If this is round the temple so much to the good. You wear white for funerals by the way. Similarly, get heat up from below to warm planting areas and note what colour blossom you are putting where. nb red is new year luck which usually falls in mid february. Create an area with a plaza surrounding a fire pit for hog roasts and bonfire parties and append a closed area for fire marshalls arranging firework displays. One offshore in a fixed barge may also be handy. You need seats on the plaza and natural logs and chain saw art seats are good. Treat them to last. By all means google anything I’ve underlined. Finally, please note you should find lychee trees will survive there and colder, higher areas in China with unique wildlife are now opening up. Trees and plants from there may now be coming available but you will need to protect planting from locals with temporary fencing until established. Beware of ensuring sight lines with cctv to avoid hosting strange gentlemen lurking in the bushes.

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