MINE THE GAP
A Competition for the Former Site of the Chicago Spire_____Chicago, IL
Site Plan
Site Section
What are the implications of inverting the skyscraper icon? Centered on the individual and his journey, high grasses cover the meditative labyrinth, allowing the visitor to focus solely on the path as it winds through the site. Sometimes rising, sometimes falling, the path gives occasional glimpses of what it is leading toward until it finally brings the visitor the edge of a massive hole. A small set of stairs floats above the gap, leading the visitor down just below ground level to a platform where he can inhabit the void in the midst of its totality and darkness. On this platform, the visitor should feel the fear and thrill of being at the top of a skyscraper, the wonder of being out of his normal habitat. Standing there, contemplating the void, the visitor begins to feel power over the darkness, drawing hope and optimism from the experience, understanding that the city will always rise above the darkness.