THE SITE

W VAN BUREN ST

Because of the public nature of the space, the urban context and surrounding site played an incredibly important role in the concepts and design of this concert hall. The site for this project was located in the West Loop, near Greektown, at the corner of West Jackson Boulevard and South Green Street, currently infrequently used parking lot. To the west, there was a lot of residential development, particularly in young couples, around the ages of 25-35. To the east is Greektown, with many cultural art pieces and dining places. Thus, this site was positioned in a transition zone, easily walkable between the residential spaces and the nearby restaurant hub on Halsted. Additionally, there was a great lack of public spaces in the area, which was part of the inspiration to make this a recognizable cultural and public center for the community.

This exploded axon drawings demonstrates the distribution of public spaces in the urban context of this site. The green spaces are quite spread out, with no green spacein the center of this space (ie. the site). With this sense of environmental connection, there was an even greater need for public intervention. The buildings in yellow are those that allow for public use. Although there are some, there is a need for more, particularly in such a highly dense area. Additionally, many of these public spaces, though public, are for certain demographics (churches, schools, etc.). There was a clear need for a new community space, public for all.