Ultramoderne's cross-laminated timber pavilion opens in Chicago

Ultramoderne’s cross-laminated timber pavilion opens in Chicago
photography by tom Harris / © Hedrich blessing


the winning pavilion of the Chicago lakefront kiosk competition has opened on the shores lake Michigan. the contest saw a total of 421 entries from over 40 countries, with Rhode Island-based studio Ultramoderne selected to realize their ‘Chicago horizon’ design. as well as providing shelter, the pavilion houses a food and beverage vendor, creating a new public space along the city’s waterfront.



influenced by two Chicago prototypes — Mies van der Rohe’s various experiments in flatness and the Eames’ explorations of scale in ‘powers of ten’ — the pavilion uses cross-laminated timber to build an expansive canopy supported by a series of slender columns. ‘the design for the kiosk became a quest to create the largest wood roof possible — to demarcate a zone of the city for all to enjoy,’ explains ultramoderne.


From ground level, the lake Michigan horizon remains prevalent, forming a distinct line of symmetry. however, from the elevated viewing platform, the roof becomes a new artificial horizon, removing the foreground and emphasizing the vertical skyline above an abstract floating plane.



Under the large canopy, a viewing platform and a vending kiosk are enclosed within chain link fencing, subtly interrupting the otherwise open plan. a plane of programmable LED lighting is embedded within the fencing, allowing it to glow with two different color temperatures: moonlight and daylight. the two hues pulsate in dialogue with each other throughout the night.






project info:

design collaborator: Brett Schneider
project team: will Gant, Hua Gao, Ronak Hingarh, Tida Osotsapa, Emily yen
material supplier & fabricator: Nordic structures
design engineer: Brett Schneider, guy Nordenson and associates
engineer of record: Thornton Tomasetti
architect of record: animate architecture
additional design + construction support: Nordic structures, rethink wood, the Rhode Island school of design


http://www.designboom.com/architecture/lakefront-kiosk-chicago-horizon-ultramoderne-chicago-architecture-biennial-10-09-2015/?utm_campaign=daily&utm_medium=e-mail&utm_source=subscribers

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