 |
| The Contemporary Wrigley Square Peristyle (MillenniumParkFoundation.org.} |
Chicagoans
speeding along Lake Shore Drive at Foster Avenue might be surprised to know
that beneath the roadway lie the ruins of a signature piece of Chicago’s
lakefront, designed by the same guy who co-wrote the Chicago Plan of 1909, drew
the plans for the bridge across the river on Michigan Avenue, and gave the city
the plans for the unbelievable Buckingham Fountain.
It
was on this day, February 20, of 1953 that the Speedway Wrecking Company took
55 minutes to demolish the Edward H. Bennett-designed peristyle at Michigan
Avenue and Randolph Street to make room for construction of the Grant Park
garage. The debris was trucked north and
used as fill for the north section of Lake Shore Drive.
 |
| Back in the Day |
The
peristyle that Bennett designed was in keeping with Daniel Burnham’s concept of the lakefront park as Chicago’s grand garden, designed in
the classical tradition. Unfortunately,
the 1917 design was executed in concrete, so enduring steamy summers and icy
winters while standing on the edge of a railroad freight yard was more than the
monument could stand, and by 1953 it was beyond saving.
When
the plans for Millennium Park were drawn up in the late 1990’s, the brilliant
idea of replacing the peristyle became part of the plan. David Dillon and Michael Patrick Sullivan of
OWP&P used the original drawings from the Chicago Park District’s archive
to re-envision the monument. The 24
columns that make up today’s peristyle are the same height as the original
peristyle’s columns. The diameter of the
monument was reduced slightly, from 100 to 80 feet, in order to accommodate an
accessible ramp that runs behind the structure.
Constructed of Indiana limestone, it should stand the test of time.
 |
| The Peristyle Under Construction in 1916 |
The
William Wrigley, Jr. Foundation contributed the five million dollars it took to
recreate the peristyle. The pedestal on
which it stands holds the names of 115 financial donors who made contributions
of at least one million dollars toward the completion of Millennium Park.
There
are two unique features of the modern peristyle that many passers-by
overlook. The brass spout of the
fountain in front of the monument was cast from a mold of a terra cotta finial
that stands atop the Wrigley Building three blocks to the north. And if you follow the outermost columns up to
the top of the colonnade, you can find Chicago’s ubiquitous “Y” symbol in the corners.
.jpg) |
| How About that Sneaky "Y" Symbol? (JWB Photo) |
Curiously
enough the northwest corner of Michigan and Randolph, the loation of the
original peristyle and the site where that monument was rebuilt,
The
team has yet to be rebuilt.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment