stephanieNY

I saw this "article" this morning online and it reminded me that I have something to say about these pavilions in Chicago. Chicago is celebrating the centennial of Daniel Burnham's plan for the city. In a grand celebratory gesture, they commissioned two architects to design pavilions in Millenium Park that were meant to "emphasize the importance of boldly imagining a better future for all...and to echo the audacity of the 1909 Burnham Plan." Zaha Hadid totally dropped the ball on her pavilion and it wasn't completed for the big opening, nor when we were there last week. This is what it was supposed to look like...and that is what we saw: Hahahah.

Ben van Berkel of UNStudio designed the other pavilion which was complete, but I had mixed feelings about it. Pluses: Structurally it was really cool...two thick horizontal planes, the top one supported by chunks peeled out and pulled down to the bottom. The openings in the top revealed really cool vignettes of the city beyond.

Negatives: It was really dirty. If I designed a stark white outdoor piece, I'd require daily hose-downs. Zaha's unfinished piece under a tent plopped feet from it didn't help things. Ultimately, I think you need to see it in its perfect and idyllic state, lit up at night with the glowing city and sky beyond and with cool blurry people moving around, like this...and not like that:

All-in-all though, Millenium Park is brilliant. Chicago should keep doing what it's doing there. Last week, we watched the symphony rehearse in Gehry's Jay Pritzker Pavilion, took some pictures at the bean, saw some crazy Chinese public art installations, and swung by the Crown Fountain, all in one park. Brilliant, Chicago.