Carpark: site design
Project Location: Chicago, IL
The brief for this project called for a “carpark” design in the triangular plot defined by Adams, Jackson, Ogden and Paulina. A carpark in this case was defined as a park that was geared toward the automobile. The site sits on a hinge point of historic Route 66, and currently functions as a parking lot. This design proposed closing the lot with cars on site, selectively subtracting asphalt and adding plant species to demonstrate both ecological and usage succession. As time passes, nature will reclaim the site, and gently curving pedestrian paths (one rough, eroded edge, one sharp and clean) immerse people in the reclamation process. The abandoned cars serve as both play objects and monuments to Route 66 and car culture.
© Dena van der Wal |