Van Berkel, Hadid and a Saturday Night
If you read architecture and design blogs, especially Chicago based bloggers, you've
probably seen lots of postings about the temporary pavilions in Millennium Park erected as part of the Burnham Plan Centennial celebrations.
The commemorative structures had their official unveiling on Friday, but we decided
to pass-up that photo-op and took the el downtown Saturday evening. It was hot and humid, and the park was swarming with people. There was a free concert underway, with a choral and symphonic premiere that was commissioned especially for the pavilion's grand opening ceremonies. The summer concerts are held at the Frank Gehry designed Pritzker Pavilion, (there seem to pavilions-a-plenty in this park) and we stopped for a moment, then headed on over to the other performance scheduled that night.
The Ben van Berkel stage was filled with non-professional actors, just everyday people
of all ages, who couldn't wait to climb up on to the platform and interact with the sculptural forms of this brilliantly conceived playhouse. We sat on one of the nearby benches for almost half-an-hour, watching a computer controlled LED light show which changes as the numbers of people change. From one angle, the pavilion reminded me of the Starship Enterprise ready to take flight.
A large, slanted surface attracted a lot of attention with young children as they tried
valiantly to climb up to the top (where an opening reveals the tops of surrounding buildings) and slide down, only to try and scamper back up to the top again.
The other pavilion by Zaha Hadid is not finished yet; the structural frame has yet to be
covered in a taut, cotton fabric. We could take pictures, but a barricade prevented anyone from getting too close. It will interesting to go back one evening, when the project is completed, and see what the Hadid pavilion has to offer.
When renderings of the pavilions were first published, I read a lot of commentary
complaining about how the design of both of these structures bore no historical references to Burnham and 19th century classicism. I can't think of a better way to commemorate the innovative 19th century plan, than with innovative 21st century ideas. Based on what I witnessed Saturday night, Van Berkel's pavilion is not just architecture, it is one of the most dynamic, interactive sculptures I've ever seen. How appropriate that it sits only a few hundred feet from the new Modern Wing of the Art Institute. And, in a city obsessed with right angles, it was nice to see something floating alongside, and passing by, the rigid grid.
Posted by designslinger at 6/22/2009 2:56 AM 
Categories: Architecture,Architects,Art
Tags: Ben van Berkel Millenium Park pavilions Zaha Hadid Burnham Centennial
Categories: Architecture,Architects,Art
Tags: Ben van Berkel Millenium Park pavilions Zaha Hadid Burnham Centennial
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