Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2018 - 16

CASE STUDY

THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF
LARGE SCALE GREEN ROOF PROJECTS

Photo courtesy Terry Guen Design

MILLENIUM PARK NOW THE
TOP TOURIST DESTINATION IN
CHICAGO - 2005 CITIESALIVE
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
WINNER, TERRY GUEN DESIGN

BY EMMA TAMLIN, ASSOCIATE EDITOR, LAM

Cities have never been static environments and throughout history have
always faced multiple challenges. In the 21st Century, cities are forced to
looked more innovatively at land use due to rapid population growth,
rising land premiums and the need to build for resilience.

ow more than ever, political leaders, city planners, and design
professionals recognize the need to have multi-functional spaces
integrated into the urban fabric. These spaces are often taking
the form of large scale green roof projects. These three projects
exemplify the global trend towards blending the natural and built
environments through green roofs, in what has become a key element
in 21st Century city building.
Despite initial opposition and hesitation regarding the challenging
technical design, Chicago's Award of Excellence-winning Millennium Park opened in July 2004 after six years of construction. The
eyesore of the rail deck from the offices above is said to have inspired
visionary Mayor Richard M. Daley to want to cover the rail tracks
with a park. Major features of the roof park include the Jay Pritzker
Pavillion which can accommodate 11,000 music lovers; Cloud Gate, a
100-ton sculpture by Anish Kapoor; the interactive Crown Fountain
by Jaume Plensa; and the four-season Lurie Garden, designed by
Kathryn Gustafson, Piet Oudolf and Roberter Israel. These features
all sit atop a parking garage and a commuter rail station which
LIVING ARCHITECTURE MONITOR / SPRING 2018 / 16

services the city's downtown
core. The project construction
cost approximately USD470 million and was financed through
a combination of $270 million
in public funding with the remainder secured through private
donations.
A study conducted by Dennis Jerke from Texas A&M
University in 2011, found that
of the 39.2 million domestic
and overseas visitors in 2010,
12 percent visited Millennium
Park and this accounted for $1.4
billion of direct spending and
$78 million in tax revenue during
that year alone. In 2017, Millen-

nium Park was ranked as the top
tourist destination in Chicago,
and among the top ten destinations in the U.S. The park hosts
numerous festivals and events
throughout the year, including
the Grant Park Music festival.
Since the park opened, there has
been an increase in development
around it, resulting in an increase
of more than 4,800 apartment
and condo units, all within walking distance of the park. This real
estate boom was stimulated in
part by the construction of the
park.
The environmental case for
Millennium Park is also signifiLIVINGARCHITECTUREMONITOR.COM

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2018