chicago river boathouses

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all images courtesy of studio gang

Revitalizing the Chicago River has been a topic of discussion in earnest in recent years. In late 2011 the city announced architects Jeanne Gang and Chris Lee would design four boat houses featuring kayak rentals and storage as well as concessions. One of the boathouses was placed on the North Branch called Bubbly Creek, site of the the Union Stockyards for nearly a hundred years. Here’s early images.

The undulating roof is inspired by eadweard muybridge’s famous experimental photographs of the movement of rowing translated into alternating inverted ‘v’ and ‘m’ shaped structural trusses. Diffused south light through glazed clerestories serve to ventilate in the summer and warm the floor slab in the winter. Kayak and sculls have been appearing more and more along this stretch. The city’s youth rowing teams are expected to use the facilities.

photo: rowing | eadweard muybridge | 1887

Anticipated completion is Spring 2013. [ studio gang ]