NAVY PIER

Chicago, IL

Client
Navy Pier Inc.

Role
Design Principal in Charge; Executive Architect, Gensler

As one of the five Lake Michigan Piers included in Burnham's 1909 Chicago Plan, Navy Pier has been an icon and a popular destination throughout much of Chicago's history. It is the most visited destination in the Midwest, hosting nine million tourists a year. Approaching the 100th anniversary in 2016, Navy Pier Inc. launched an international design competition to reimagine the pier as a civic site. Working with the Pier staff, the board, and a series of consultants, we developed an ambitious program for the Pier called "The Centennial Vision: A Framework for Reimagining Navy Pier." This vision emerged from an understanding of the Pier's past successes as well as a focus on untapped opportunities and potential for the future. Our role was to design the redevelopment plan and to oversee the project as creative director and executive architect. The project provides guidance and informs the redevelopment activity of the Pier for the next 100 years. It does not commit to specific design solutions but is a strategic, flexible framework that will meet the needs of a continuing evolutionary program.