The Building of Chicago's Millennium Park
. Millennium Park, once controlled by the Illinois Central Railroad, was founded in 1997 with the help of then mayor Richard M. Daley (City of Chicago, 2020). Supposedly, the mayor looked out a window one day, seeing hundreds of parked cars along with the railroad station, and was inspired to convert it to a park. The park is home to architecture, sculptures, and landscape designs, like the famous stainless-steel sculpture Cloud Gate by Anish Kapoor and the more ecological Lurie Garden designed by Gustafson Guthrie Nichol Ltd (City of Chicago, 2020). Sitting on 24.5 acres of land, Millennium Park was created to be a new public space for the people of Chicago, intended to soften the hard industrialism from the railroads and parking lots that used to inhabit the space.
Over the years, Millennium Park has become more than a public green space for residents to enjoy. It hosts millions of tourists each year with its public art gallery and many outdoor music festivals held at the Pritzker Pavilion. Millennium park is even connected via the BP Pedestrian Bridge to Grant Park, which was originally designed around the railroad that originally occupied what is now Millennium Park. While the park probably sees thousands of people a day, it most likely sees far more nonhuman visitors. These nonhuman visitors are perhaps the most important to keeping the park an alive and thriving greenspace.
The city of Chicago was founded in 1837 but the Millennium Park came more than a century after (City of Chicago, 2020). What happened between the founding of the city and the park? Before Millennium Park was designed, the Illinois Central Railroad, commonly referred to as the Main Line of MidAmerica, controlled the land from 1852-1997. The Illinois Central portion of the railroad connected Chicago, Illinois to Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans, Louisiana; the Chicago Central portion of the railroad connected Chicago, Illinois to Omaha, Nebraska, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, along with Fort Dodge, Iowa (Murray, 2006). One of the oldest Class I railroads in the U.S., it was an extremely important mode of transportation in the trade game. The railroads were also instrumental in allowing people to travel more efficiently, specifically through the use of passenger trains. The railroad tracks traveled between Lake Michigan and what would be Millennium Park.
Chicago from the 1850’s-1870’s was dirty, industrial, and crowded with its rising population. Chicago was the epitome of the United States’ transformation into an urban industrial nation. What started out as a mid-point for trade between the east and west coast quickly grew into a large metropolis. The streets were lined with wooden buildings, often overcrowded, and to help with the growth of the city the streets were raised to install a sewer system. Not only were the buildings wooden, but the streets were also paved with pine blocks along with wooden sidewalks.
In the year 1871, Union BaseBall Grounds was built on what would become Millennium Park. Here is where the Chicago White Stockings, who would later be referred to as the Chicago Cubs, played their homes games. This new field was short-lived, because on October 8, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire would strike the city (City of Chicago, 2020). The fire which started on DeKoven Street along with a forceful wind, caused most of the “wooden city” burned to the ground. With over 300 resident’s dead and more than 100,000 displaced from their homes, Chicago was at a turning point.
Almost immediately following the fire, reconstruction efforts started which included many buildings, including some of the first skyscrapers. Debris from the fire was dumped into Lake Michigan as landfill, which helped to form the foundations for modern day Millennium and Grant parks as well as the Art Institute of Chicago (City of Chicago, 2020). The Union BaseBall Grounds was also rebuilt six years later, still in Millennium Park, although the right field had to be shortened because of the railroad tracks. They would lose the land within a year when the federal government returned the land to the city. With the further advancements being made to recover from the fire, the population also continued to grow- reaching over 1 million people by 1890, second only to New York City (History Editors, 2018).
The city of Chicago would only continue to grow in population through the 1900’s along with numerous economical and architectural improvements being made. Chicago would go on to become a booming metropolis after the fire because of the hundreds of immigrants flooding the city to work in meat-packing plants and factories. In 1909, architect Daniel Burnham designed Grant Park, having to work around the Illinois Central Railroad property. From then to 1997, the land would remain covered by parking lots and railroads, which was an eyesore amongst the backdrop of Lake Michigan. Mayor Daley’s vision for the park included 16-acres of green space with an outdoor music venue, which he planned would match the architectural style featured in Grant Park. He collaborated with the famous architect Frank Gehry among other architects, artists, and designers to create the Millennium Park that is so popular today amongst residents and tourists alike.
His vision turned into the 24.5-acre park which features many art installations, monuments and sculptures, a theater, bridges, gardens, and pavilions. The Millennium Monument was designed and built in 1917 in Grant Park, but could not withstand the harsh lakefront weather, so it would be demolished in 1953 (Millennium Park Inc). A replica was erected in 2002, made of limestone, and it now stands in Wrigley Square in the bottom left corner of Millennium Park along the ever-busy Michigan Avenue. Millennium Park was originally designed to cover an eyesore created by the Illinois Central Railroad, but it ended up being a cultural hotspot where people can enjoy a break from the hustle and bustle of the city; second only in popularity to Navy Pier.
In the years since its creation, the Park has hosted many concerts, art festivals, music festivals, etc. The park also holds an arts and crafts series for children and their families in the summer months called the Family Fun Tent. It has hosted the Chicago Blues Festival, the Summer Music Series, and the World Music Festival commonly held at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, which sits in the center of the park. The Pritzker Pavilion was designed by Frank Gehry and can seat up to 11,000 people for an event (City of Chicago, 2020). Its stage is surrounded by curved stainless steel plates that hang above it which was a controversial topic at the time of construction. There are historic limitations placed on building height in Grant Park, so the steel plates are classified as an art installation rather than part of the buildings structure. Named after Jay Pritzker, a major donor for the project, the Pritzker Pavilion is home to the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.
Over the years, Millennium Park has become more than a public green space for residents to enjoy. It hosts millions of tourists each year with its public art gallery and many outdoor music festivals held at the Pritzker Pavilion. Millennium park is even connected via the BP Pedestrian Bridge to Grant Park, which was originally designed around the railroad that originally occupied what is now Millennium Park. While the park probably sees thousands of people a day, it most likely sees far more nonhuman visitors. These nonhuman visitors are perhaps the most important to keeping the park an alive and thriving greenspace.
The city of Chicago was founded in 1837 but the Millennium Park came more than a century after (City of Chicago, 2020). What happened between the founding of the city and the park? Before Millennium Park was designed, the Illinois Central Railroad, commonly referred to as the Main Line of MidAmerica, controlled the land from 1852-1997. The Illinois Central portion of the railroad connected Chicago, Illinois to Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans, Louisiana; the Chicago Central portion of the railroad connected Chicago, Illinois to Omaha, Nebraska, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, along with Fort Dodge, Iowa (Murray, 2006). One of the oldest Class I railroads in the U.S., it was an extremely important mode of transportation in the trade game. The railroads were also instrumental in allowing people to travel more efficiently, specifically through the use of passenger trains. The railroad tracks traveled between Lake Michigan and what would be Millennium Park.
Chicago from the 1850’s-1870’s was dirty, industrial, and crowded with its rising population. Chicago was the epitome of the United States’ transformation into an urban industrial nation. What started out as a mid-point for trade between the east and west coast quickly grew into a large metropolis. The streets were lined with wooden buildings, often overcrowded, and to help with the growth of the city the streets were raised to install a sewer system. Not only were the buildings wooden, but the streets were also paved with pine blocks along with wooden sidewalks.
In the year 1871, Union BaseBall Grounds was built on what would become Millennium Park. Here is where the Chicago White Stockings, who would later be referred to as the Chicago Cubs, played their homes games. This new field was short-lived, because on October 8, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire would strike the city (City of Chicago, 2020). The fire which started on DeKoven Street along with a forceful wind, caused most of the “wooden city” burned to the ground. With over 300 resident’s dead and more than 100,000 displaced from their homes, Chicago was at a turning point.
Almost immediately following the fire, reconstruction efforts started which included many buildings, including some of the first skyscrapers. Debris from the fire was dumped into Lake Michigan as landfill, which helped to form the foundations for modern day Millennium and Grant parks as well as the Art Institute of Chicago (City of Chicago, 2020). The Union BaseBall Grounds was also rebuilt six years later, still in Millennium Park, although the right field had to be shortened because of the railroad tracks. They would lose the land within a year when the federal government returned the land to the city. With the further advancements being made to recover from the fire, the population also continued to grow- reaching over 1 million people by 1890, second only to New York City (History Editors, 2018).
The city of Chicago would only continue to grow in population through the 1900’s along with numerous economical and architectural improvements being made. Chicago would go on to become a booming metropolis after the fire because of the hundreds of immigrants flooding the city to work in meat-packing plants and factories. In 1909, architect Daniel Burnham designed Grant Park, having to work around the Illinois Central Railroad property. From then to 1997, the land would remain covered by parking lots and railroads, which was an eyesore amongst the backdrop of Lake Michigan. Mayor Daley’s vision for the park included 16-acres of green space with an outdoor music venue, which he planned would match the architectural style featured in Grant Park. He collaborated with the famous architect Frank Gehry among other architects, artists, and designers to create the Millennium Park that is so popular today amongst residents and tourists alike.
His vision turned into the 24.5-acre park which features many art installations, monuments and sculptures, a theater, bridges, gardens, and pavilions. The Millennium Monument was designed and built in 1917 in Grant Park, but could not withstand the harsh lakefront weather, so it would be demolished in 1953 (Millennium Park Inc). A replica was erected in 2002, made of limestone, and it now stands in Wrigley Square in the bottom left corner of Millennium Park along the ever-busy Michigan Avenue. Millennium Park was originally designed to cover an eyesore created by the Illinois Central Railroad, but it ended up being a cultural hotspot where people can enjoy a break from the hustle and bustle of the city; second only in popularity to Navy Pier.
In the years since its creation, the Park has hosted many concerts, art festivals, music festivals, etc. The park also holds an arts and crafts series for children and their families in the summer months called the Family Fun Tent. It has hosted the Chicago Blues Festival, the Summer Music Series, and the World Music Festival commonly held at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, which sits in the center of the park. The Pritzker Pavilion was designed by Frank Gehry and can seat up to 11,000 people for an event (City of Chicago, 2020). Its stage is surrounded by curved stainless steel plates that hang above it which was a controversial topic at the time of construction. There are historic limitations placed on building height in Grant Park, so the steel plates are classified as an art installation rather than part of the buildings structure. Named after Jay Pritzker, a major donor for the project, the Pritzker Pavilion is home to the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.
Another famous tourist attraction that resides in Millennium Park is Cloud Gate, commonly referred to as “The Bean,” which sits on AT&T Plaza. Inspired by the look of liquid mercury, Cloud Gate’s highly polished surface is made of 168 welded stainless-steel plates. The sculpture shows not only the reflection of the tourists and residents that visit it, but it also shows the reflection of the city skyline and the sky above the city. The project was started in 2004 with an estimated cost of $6 million and it was completed in 2006 with a final cost of $23 million (City of Chicago, 2020). When Millennium Park had its grand opening celebration, Cloud Gate was revealed (unfinished) to the public with all the weld seams completely visible, but it was recovered while the workers polished the sculpture.
A little over a year ago I had the privilege of traveling to the city of Chicago on summer vacation. Of course, on the itinerary were the numerous museums and the Shedd Aquarium, but most importantly I made it a point to visit Millennium Park. While most people go to the park to see Cloud Gate or the Crown Fountain, I wanted to take a day to just observe. People watching is one of the most interesting things to do in a busy city. I sat in Millennium Park on a bench in front of the Millennium Monument in Wrigley Square and watched the people as they passed but more importantly, I took note of the wildlife. I should say the lack of wildlife I noticed at first, before I looked a little closer and realized that even though there aren’t a lot of large mammals running about, there were so many small organisms around me. It’s atypical from the wildlife I would see in the rural areas of London, Ohio where I grew up, but it is more typical to the city setting.
While there were no deer or coyotes running about, there were dozens of birds flying about and many squirrels. I shouldn’t forget to mention the vast amounts of various wildflowers that bloomed in the Lurie Garden, which attracted many beautiful different types of butterflies. Many of the flowers I hadn’t seen before, or at least I didn’t recognize, which led me to do some research. In the summer months many different colors of coneflowers and alliums bloom, along with milkweed and my two favorites: queen of the prairie (it smelled amazing) and the grape hyacinth (which looked so funky). The butterflies that surrounded the Lurie Garden were also fascinating to watch, of course there were so many Monarch butterflies, which the gardens attract each year along their migration path. I’ve seen the gardens many different times, but it never ceases to amaze me that such a diverse ecosystem can exist amongst the concrete jungle that is the city of Chicago.
A little over a year ago I had the privilege of traveling to the city of Chicago on summer vacation. Of course, on the itinerary were the numerous museums and the Shedd Aquarium, but most importantly I made it a point to visit Millennium Park. While most people go to the park to see Cloud Gate or the Crown Fountain, I wanted to take a day to just observe. People watching is one of the most interesting things to do in a busy city. I sat in Millennium Park on a bench in front of the Millennium Monument in Wrigley Square and watched the people as they passed but more importantly, I took note of the wildlife. I should say the lack of wildlife I noticed at first, before I looked a little closer and realized that even though there aren’t a lot of large mammals running about, there were so many small organisms around me. It’s atypical from the wildlife I would see in the rural areas of London, Ohio where I grew up, but it is more typical to the city setting.
While there were no deer or coyotes running about, there were dozens of birds flying about and many squirrels. I shouldn’t forget to mention the vast amounts of various wildflowers that bloomed in the Lurie Garden, which attracted many beautiful different types of butterflies. Many of the flowers I hadn’t seen before, or at least I didn’t recognize, which led me to do some research. In the summer months many different colors of coneflowers and alliums bloom, along with milkweed and my two favorites: queen of the prairie (it smelled amazing) and the grape hyacinth (which looked so funky). The butterflies that surrounded the Lurie Garden were also fascinating to watch, of course there were so many Monarch butterflies, which the gardens attract each year along their migration path. I’ve seen the gardens many different times, but it never ceases to amaze me that such a diverse ecosystem can exist amongst the concrete jungle that is the city of Chicago.
The Lurie Garden, named after the $10 million endowment donor Ann Lurie, sits on 5 acres (Lurie Garden, 2020). The garden is full of various perennials, trees, grasses, etc, that bloom/blossom each season, which occupy only 2.5 acres of the actual space. Designed by Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, with the help of Piet Oudolf and Robert Israel, the Lurie Garden has a dark and light plate which represents the shade loving plants and sun-loving perennials of Chicago respectively. It is split into the two plates by a boardwalk that is meant to depict the original Lake Michigan seawall. The light plate houses more prairie grasses while the dark plate includes more broad-leaved species like ferns. In order to keep the garden as eco-friendly as possible, it was built on lightweight geofoam which is placed underneath the soil. The garden also utilized more limestone and granite where stone was required and only FSC-certified Ipe was used to create the boardwalk and wooden benches throughout the garden (Lurie Garden, 2020). While the garden attracts many tourists and residents alike, this would not be possible without the hundreds of volunteers that care for the garden and help to educate the visitors.
This leads to present day Millennium Park in the year 2020, full of wildlife and art, but currently absent of people due to the COVID-19 pandemic the world is facing. The Pritzker Pavilion sits vacant, the Lurie Garden only seeing the volunteers, and Cloud Gate being viewed from afar. One day, hopefully soon, people will be able to join their friends at festivals and see their families in the park freely without fear of spreading the virus. At this point that open public spaces will hold even more significance with people who have been cooped up in their homes for the past year or so. If only people realized that while amusement parks sit empty and concert venues go without music that there is a versatile green space right outside. The park provides so much to the people of Chicago, whether artistically, architecturally, ecologically, etc. This makes the conservation of these green spaces even more important now, especially within major cities. Without parks of any kind, many people would have been completely shut in for the past nine months, with no escape. Millennium Park will be full of people once more when this pandemic subsides, providing the ever-needed escape from the city. With so much uncertain about the future, one thing is for certain, even if Millennium Park sits without people, it is still full of life.
This leads to present day Millennium Park in the year 2020, full of wildlife and art, but currently absent of people due to the COVID-19 pandemic the world is facing. The Pritzker Pavilion sits vacant, the Lurie Garden only seeing the volunteers, and Cloud Gate being viewed from afar. One day, hopefully soon, people will be able to join their friends at festivals and see their families in the park freely without fear of spreading the virus. At this point that open public spaces will hold even more significance with people who have been cooped up in their homes for the past year or so. If only people realized that while amusement parks sit empty and concert venues go without music that there is a versatile green space right outside. The park provides so much to the people of Chicago, whether artistically, architecturally, ecologically, etc. This makes the conservation of these green spaces even more important now, especially within major cities. Without parks of any kind, many people would have been completely shut in for the past nine months, with no escape. Millennium Park will be full of people once more when this pandemic subsides, providing the ever-needed escape from the city. With so much uncertain about the future, one thing is for certain, even if Millennium Park sits without people, it is still full of life.
References:
Chicago Architecture Center. (2020). Millennium Park. Retrieved October 30, 2020, from http://www.architecture.org/learn/resources/buildings-of-chicago/building/millennium-park/
City of Chicago. (2020). Chicago History. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/about/history.html
City of Chicago. (2020). Millennium Park - Art & Architecture. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park_-artarchitecture.html
City of Chicago. (2020). Millennium Park History. Retrieved October 30, 2020, from https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park_history.html
History Editors. (2018, August 21). Chicago Fire of 1871. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://www.history.com/topics/19th-century/great-chicago-fire
Kamin, B. (2004, July 18). A no place transformed into a grand space. Retrieved October 27, 2020, from https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2004-07-18-0407180382-story.html
Lurie Garden. (2020, July 10). About the Garden. Retrieved October 30, 2020, from https://www.luriegarden.org/about/
Millennium Park Inc. - Millennium Monument (Peristyle) and Wrigley Square Series (n.d.). Chicago Public Library. Retrieved October 26, 2020. https://www.chicagotraveler.com/parks/millennium-park/
Murray, Tom (2006). Illinois Central Railroad. MBI Railroad Color History (1st ed.). Voyageur Press. ISBN 978-0-7603-2254-3.
Public Building Commission of Chicago. (2001, February). Millennium Park News. Retrieved November 1, 2020, from https://web.archive.org/web/20080910132602/http://www.pbcchicago.com/upload/454.pdf
Chicago Architecture Center. (2020). Millennium Park. Retrieved October 30, 2020, from http://www.architecture.org/learn/resources/buildings-of-chicago/building/millennium-park/
City of Chicago. (2020). Chicago History. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/about/history.html
City of Chicago. (2020). Millennium Park - Art & Architecture. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park_-artarchitecture.html
City of Chicago. (2020). Millennium Park History. Retrieved October 30, 2020, from https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park_history.html
History Editors. (2018, August 21). Chicago Fire of 1871. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://www.history.com/topics/19th-century/great-chicago-fire
Kamin, B. (2004, July 18). A no place transformed into a grand space. Retrieved October 27, 2020, from https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2004-07-18-0407180382-story.html
Lurie Garden. (2020, July 10). About the Garden. Retrieved October 30, 2020, from https://www.luriegarden.org/about/
Millennium Park Inc. - Millennium Monument (Peristyle) and Wrigley Square Series (n.d.). Chicago Public Library. Retrieved October 26, 2020. https://www.chicagotraveler.com/parks/millennium-park/
Murray, Tom (2006). Illinois Central Railroad. MBI Railroad Color History (1st ed.). Voyageur Press. ISBN 978-0-7603-2254-3.
Public Building Commission of Chicago. (2001, February). Millennium Park News. Retrieved November 1, 2020, from https://web.archive.org/web/20080910132602/http://www.pbcchicago.com/upload/454.pdf