INCREMENTAL CITY
—— A Self-Growing Super Block
Ignite Competition Reinventing Thompson Centre of 2020, Chicago
Editor's Choice Reward
TYPE: Competition, Group Work
Group Member: Yixiao Wei, Yiwei Qian, Austin NG
Thompson center is located only one block away from Chicago River and six subway lines meet here, which is an idealized place for entertainment, retail and public activities.
The most impressive part of Thompson center is the beautiful rotunda located in the center of this building, endow the building with transparency and natural lights. Also, the reflection coming from the glass panels and interior facade is another quality we want to maintain after renovation.
Rotunda
Ground Floor Plan Typical Floor Plan
Thompson center, which was built in 1985, has already became the memories of people in Chicago. In this renovation program, we want to keep part of it’s characteristics as well as introduce new qualities to give this old building a new life.
Organic Growth: One of the key concepts in our design is to create a “self-built’ community, the building is divided into different units hanged from the central structure which can be modified through it’s owner’s will. It is the public who decide the function, location and size of one unit, the building will grow organically little by little instead of being fully controlled by architects. Everything is generated from the ground, like a tree.
A Place for the Public: Thompson center was a place which gave little access to the public, after renovation, we want to open the building as much as we can and let it becomes the green space and entertainment center for the whole area. Meanwhile, we connect this architecture to its surroundings like the subway station and other buildings around it to create a network which people can find everything they need without going outside.
Programs
Massing