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Architects: STLarchitects
- Area: 11220 ft²
- Year: 2019
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Photographs:Ignacio Espigares
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Manufacturers: AutoDesk, LOTTE CHEMICAL, Adobe, Coldspring, Millennium Forms, Modernfold, Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope, Robert McNeel & Associates, Sarnafil, W.W. Timbers
Text description provided by the architects. The new fieldhouse located in the Bronzeville community adjacent to the Chicago Housing Authority Dearborn Homes will replace an existing fieldhouse and will support the Chicago Park District and Chicago Housing Authority’s expanding programming needs. The single-story building includes a 3,800 square foot basketball gymnasium with spectator seating, two multi-purpose community rooms with a shared pantry, offices, reception, and storage space.
The entry lobby and corridor are generously sized and will include flexible seating to provide a space for spontaneous gathering and events. The fieldhouse is situated at the center of an eight-and-one-half acre park that includes a playground, baseball and soccer fields, an interactive water spray feature, and basketball courts. The fieldhouse will be the first building in Chicago to be clad in vibrant, stainless steel shingles that respond to different light conditions and appear to change hue when viewed from different angles.
This bold and elegant exterior expression enhances the visibility of the fieldhouse and establishes the fieldhouse as a community anchor for the Park District. The materiality at the interior will be limited to select materials including concrete and wood with an expressive wood structural system at the ceiling, upholding the rich historical expression of wood that is found in many historic Park District fieldhouses in Chicago.
