A new iteration of Studio Gang's acclaimed Chicago River boathouse will be built in Bridgeport, officials announced over the weekend, fulfilling previously announced plans for a series of four structures along the riverfront. At a ribbon cutting Saturday for the River Park Boathouse in Albany Park, Mayor Emanuel reiterated the city's aim to build a facility at 2804-72 South Eleanor Street. According to the Tribune's Blair Kamin, the facility, estimated to cost $5.7 million, will look similar to Studio Gang's previous design.
The original Studio Gang Boathouse, at 3400 N. Rockwell, was meant to "visually capture the poetic rhythm and motion of rowing," said Jeanne Gang, Founder and Principal of Studio Gang Architects, in a statement. The acclaimed structure's slate rooftop, a series of "V" and "M" set against the skyline, stands as a visual metaphor of oars in motion, and the interior is meant to recall the hull of a ship.
Slated for an area known as Park No. 571, the planned smaller sibling on the South Side will include another floating launch dock and upgrade a makeshift facility used by the Chicago Training Center, a local nonprofit. Along with the other three boathouses springing up on shore , this is another sign of the Chicago River's recreational revival, and hopefully a sign of more serious transformations to come on the south branch of a body of water once known as Bubbly Creek.
— Patrick Sisson
·City unveils boathouse plan for Bridgeport [Chicago Tribune]
·Without a Paddle [South Side Weekly]
·Previous Studio Gang coverage [Curbed Chicago]