Lack Of Access

Millennium Park , Chicago

Type : Urban Park
Area : 24.5 Acre
Millennium Park is a public park located in the Loop community
area of Chicago operated by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and
managed by MB Real Estate.
Project Goal : To transform the railroad tracks, surface parking and degraded
parkland into a landscaped venue for free public programming, concerts, and events

Architect : Frank Gehry (Pritzker Pavilion and BP Bridge in Millennium Park)

Project manager : Edward Uhlir

Diksha Arora - Gcad/15/112

 About Project
 A 24.5-acre park with venues for performance, art, sculpture, architecture and landscape architecture, located
between Chicago’s lakefront and the central business district (the Loop).
 The transformation of a dilapidated ground-level parking lot and rail yard into what may be the world’s
largest “green roof,” covering two multi-level parking lots with a total of 4,000 cars, and rail line.

 The centerpiece of the park is the Pritzker Pavilion, and BP Pedestrian Bridge, both designed by
architect Frank Gehry, constructed of enormous sculptural plates of curvilinear stainless steel.

 Millennium Park also proves that carefully conceived urban centres can be redesigned with green roofs,
changing key locations of civic blight into cultural and economic amenities, and generators of urban pride.
Key features
Park has four major artistic highlights: the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Cloud Gate, the Crown Fountain, and the
McCormick Tribune Plaza & Ice skating Rink.

Jay Pritzker Pavillion Cloud Gate

Ice Skating Crown Fountain

Site Plan
Millennium Park
• The park has received awards for its accessibility and green design.
• Every aspect of Millennium Park has been designed to be fully accessible to all.
Provision for Wheelchair Users
1. The Crown Fountain was designed without edges or deep water areas so a wheelchair can easily enter
the fountain area and participate with full inclusion.
2. Wheelchair seating spaces are available throughout the Seating Bowl. Additionally, some aisle seats have
movable armrests, to allow for easy transferring onto the seat from a wheelchair.
3. Wheelchair seats are available in both the free seating area and the membership reserved seating area
4. Wheelchair accessible restroom facilities.
5. Accessible windows are available at all vending locations
in the park.
6. Grass is cut for access (short cut with firm and stable soil )
allowing for easier access to the Great Lawn.
Pedestrian Bridge
 The BP Pedestrian Bridge is a girder footbridge over Columbus
Drive that connects Millennium Park with Maggie Daley Park.
 The bridge is referred to as snakelike in character due to its curving
form.
 The bridge's design, which meets highway standards to
accommodate rushes of pedestrian traffic simultaneously caters
Pritzker Pavilion events.
 The total length is 935 feet (285 m), Slope – 1:20 that makes
it barrier-free and accessible.

 The Nichols Bridge way, a pedestrian bridge connects the south end of Millennium Park with the Modern
Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago.
 The bridge design by Renzo Piano, the architect of the Modern Wing.
 The Nichols Bridge way is approximately 620 ft (190 m) long and 15 ft (4.6 m) wide.
 The bridge features anti-slip walkways and heating elements to prevent the formation of ice.
 It meets standards for universal accessibility, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990 (ADA)
Deaf and Hard of Hearing

 Assistive Listening Devices available for the hard of hearing before and during events at the Patron
Services Center.
 Scripts of the Millennium Park audio tour are available in the Millennium Park Welcome Center for those
who are deaf and hard of hearing.
Blind and Low Vision

 Large print copies of the Grant Park Music Festival program book are available at the Patron Services
Center, located on the upper walkway along the west side of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion.
 There is a separate entrance near event for Handicapped, with a security check point.
Sustainable approaches followed
• The Exelon Pavilions are a set of four solar energy generating structures in Millennium Park.

• The pavilions provide sufficient energy to power.

• Besides producing energy, three of the four pavilions provide access to the park's underground parking
garages and the fourth serves as the park's welcome center.
• The McDonald's Cycle Center is a 300-space for bike station located in the northwest corner of
Millennium Park.
• The facility provides lockers, showers, a snack bar with outdoor summer seating, bike repair, bike
rental and other amenities for downtown bicycle commuters and utility cyclists.

• Lurie Garden – Variety of plantings which attracts red-winged black birds, bees, butterflies.
• A projected 3 to 4 million additional Park tourism visits to the City for 2005 translates into a major
financial benefit for the City.
Promoting equity through design
• The concept of equity : design for community that will experience the building as users or passersby.
• Millennium Park is designed for all people where everyone can interact with building. As there is no ticket,
free entry for all irrespective of age, gender etc.
• And the park is used for all kind of events which will ultimately helps in promoting social values and creating
awareness.
• Other than that, park consists of bicycle center, anyone can use these cycles.
• As explained earlier, whole park is designed as universal design. Each and every zone is accessible by
wheelchair users
• The park has received awards for its accessibility and green design.
References -
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/mp3.html

https://www.slideshare.net/thippawanpariyasak/millenium-park-8070489

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Park

http://www.grantparkmusicfestival.com/gpmf_docs/Park_Map.jpg

https://aasarchitecture.com/2012/08/millennium-park-in-chicago.html/