Navy Pier has been a Chicago icon and popular destination throughout much of its history. It offers a diverse and eclectic experience and is positioned in one of the most unique settings in the world. As Navy Pier approaches its centennial in 2016, now is the time to revisit its legacy and reimagine its potential through a contemporary lens. Navy Pier has enjoyed both popular and commercial success. It already has much of what is necessary to become a world-class public place, but for the Pier to truly achieve this status it must embrace and implement a new vision. The search for a Pierscape design team is an important part of a larger Navy Pier initiative entitled The Centennial Vision whose goal is to make Navy Pier a truly iconic and world-class destination.
In July of 2011, Navy Pier, Inc., the newly formed not-for-profit entity entrusted with the operation and redevelopment of Navy Pier, put forth The Centennial Vision, a framework for reimagining Navy Pier. The vision’s purpose is not only to expand the Pier’s audience but to enrich the experience of its visitors. Like other Chicago endeavors – Millennium Park is a recent example – The Centennial Vision aims high and establishes a framework befitting a world-class city with a vibrant architectural, cultural, environmental, and recreational landscape.
The design of the Pier’s Pierscape, or outdoor public spaces, is an essential component of The Centennial Vision. In addition to the Pierscape, Navy Pier is moving forward with other components of the vision. The Pier is beginning to plan the renovation of the Family Pavilion, explore the addition of more restaurants and entertainment, and to work closely with its cultural partners, Chicago Children’s Museum and Chicago Shakespeare Theater, on the feasibility of each expanding their presence at the Pier.
The five Pierscape design proposals on display mark an important milestone in the search for a design team, a process that began in September with an invitation to design firms worldwide to submit their qualifications. There are a great number of big ideas on display, and each design proposal gives a good sense of the team’s approach to redesigning the Pier’s public spaces. Navy Pier intends to select the team that best understands its objectives and would make a great partner in further exploring, developing, and refining design ideas and concepts to respond to the complex conditions at Navy Pier and to work with the Pier on implementing a vision for the Pier’s Pierscape.
Navy Pier is the “People’s Pier” and as Chicago’s most popular public destination, feedback is an important part of the selection process. Navy Pier would like to hear from you about the finalists’ designs for a reimagined Pierscape. Please email your input to: comments@navypiervision.com.
An exhibition of the design proposals submitted by each team can be seen at the Chicago Architecture Foundation, 224 South Michigan Avenue. Additional information about the exhibition can be found at architecture.org.