The Legacy District

The Legacy District is a mixed-use development which expresses cultural vitality, fosters pride and creates a sense of place through a characteristic identity and quality open spaces. The form of the building is generated like a folded ribbon, derived from the scale of the historic low rise commercial buildings around the site. While winding up to include scales and proportions of larger neighboring buildings, a sculptural façade toward a newly generated urban open space is formed. Within the form of the building local art will be serve a valuable and integrative component of the design of the building.

Perceived as Bronzeville’s food, art & culture corridor, the neighborhood offers a historically active and vibrant art and music scene, which is complimented by the integration of the proposed corner plaza offering spill-out space for the food market and the adjacent colonnade along 47th Street to activate the street and diversify spatial qualities within the corridor. The envisioned two-story flexible and adaptable culinary and entrepreneurial space is programmatically and spatially adaptable to neighborhood needs and changing businesses over time. It will serve as a catalyst for business development in conjunction with the YWCA, the support of food training and entrepreneurship, and opportunities for community events of different kinds, from celebrations, music events, art exhibitions, cooking competitions, to symposia and lectures.

The proposal is designed to be family oriented, with two-thirds of the units being large 3-bedroom units and about one third being 2-bedroom units. Healthy living is promoted by integrating balconies for all units and every bedroom and living room. Many units include additional gardens and terraces. The 4,700 square-foot rooftop farm not only provides residents with proximal access to nature and a space for gardening, but it also opens opportunities for educational programming. Additionally, the rooftop farm is envisioned as a vital resource for food entrepreneurs in the building.

The plaza offers spill-out space for the food market and the large seating steps allow casual sitting, eating and relaxing at all times, allowing to overview the plaza and the activity around the intersection. The soffit becomes a canvas for artist Dorian Sylvain, which is highly visible from below and resembles an intricate and inclusive component of the building.Rendering © Hard Rock Digital Technology Co. LTD

The massing contributes to the vibrancy of the neighborhood by complimenting the historic building fabric with a contemporary and authentic additionRendering © Hard Rock Digital Technology Co. LTD

The corner plaza and colonnade are contributing to the creation of spaces with repose, walkability, and diversity of spatial qualities within the corridorRendering © Hard Rock Digital Technology Co. LTD

The plaza expands across the street to the Great Migration Plaza as part of the activation between city-owned lotsRendering © Hard Rock Digital Technology Co. LTD

Rooftop farm where members of the community are invited to learn and experience the horticultural skillsRendering © Hard Rock Digital Technology Co. LTD

Large roof deck adjacent to an activity room for the residents. Located on the 6th floor and with far views towards Chicago’s skyline and Lake Michigan.Rendering © Hard Rock Digital Technology Co. LTD

The Culinary Flex Hall is programmatically and spatially adaptable to the neighborhood needs and changing businesses over timeRendering © Hard Rock Digital Technology Co. LTD

Building Type: Mixed Use
Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Development Team: KMW Communities (Chicago), Bronzeville Partners (Chicago), LG Development Group (Chicago), MB TEAM (Chicago)
Service: Architectural Design
GSF: 75,000 sqft
INVEST South/ West Chicago RFP: 1st Prize, August 2021

Design Team: Lars Gräbner, Christina Hansen, José Arturo Joglar-Cadilla, Annabelle Guan, Jesica Yu, Ryan Cohn

Local Design Partners: Civic Projects Architecture(Community Engagement), Landon Bone Baker (AOR) , Omni Workshop (Landscape), Seek Design (Interiors)

Links:
The Legacy District Video Presentation

Chicago Sun-Times

Urbanize Chicago

Chicago Tribune

Block Club Chicago

Taubman College

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