PETERSEN STUDIO

Parkview West, one block west of Chicago’s Navy Pier, integrates a dramatic high-rise condominium tower and podium townhouse building with a 1.75-acre park constructed entirely upon a multi-level underground garage.  The park is conceived as a series of folded planes, with each park facet articulated as a distinct regional landscape typology or park feature.  Interior park spaces are elevated slightly above street level, while seating terraces, cascading fountains, and access paths slope to engage perimeter streets.  The sculptural landscape complements the adjacent River East Arts Center, and provides a dynamic 3-season garden display for the enjoyment of residents in surrounding towers.   

Jacob Petersen, Principal-in-Charge of the Hargreaves Associates landscape design team, coordinated extensively with architect Solomon Cordwell Buenz, and garage structural engineers to realize the complex on-structure landscape.  Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin praised the landscape: “An oasis of public space between Michigan Avenue and Navy Pier; origami-inspired park is deftly integrated with tower”.

Parkview West, one block west of Chicago’s Navy Pier, integrates a dramatic high-rise condominium tower and podium townhouse building with a 1.75-acre park constructed entirely upon a multi-level underground garage.  The park is conceived as a series of folded planes, with each park facet articulated as a distinct regional landscape typology or park feature.  Interior park spaces are elevated slightly above street level, while seating terraces, cascading fountains, and access paths slope to engage perimeter streets.  The sculptural landscape complements the adjacent River East Arts Center, and provides a dynamic 3-season garden display for the enjoyment of residents in surrounding towers.   

Jacob Petersen, Principal-in-Charge of the Hargreaves Associates landscape design team, coordinated extensively with architect Solomon Cordwell Buenz, and garage structural engineers to realize the complex on-structure landscape.  Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin praised the landscape: “An oasis of public space between Michigan Avenue and Navy Pier; origami-inspired park is deftly integrated with tower”.

Parkview West, one block west of Chicago’s Navy Pier, integrates a dramatic high-rise condominium tower and podium townhouse building with a 1.75-acre park constructed entirely upon a multi-level underground garage.  The park is conceived as a series of folded planes, with each park facet articulated as a distinct regional landscape typology or park feature.  Interior park spaces are elevated slightly above street level, while seating terraces, cascading fountains, and access paths slope to engage perimeter streets.  The sculptural landscape complements the adjacent River East Arts Center, and provides a dynamic 3-season garden display for the enjoyment of residents in surrounding towers.  

Photo: Jacob Petersen

Parkview West, one block west of Chicago’s Navy Pier, integrates a dramatic high-rise condominium tower and podium townhouse building with a 1.75-acre park constructed entirely upon a multi-level underground garage.  The park is conceived as a series of folded planes, with each park facet articulated as a distinct regional landscape typology or park feature.  Interior park spaces are elevated slightly above street level, while seating terraces, cascading fountains, and access paths slope to engage perimeter streets.  The sculptural landscape complements the adjacent River East Arts Center, and provides a dynamic 3-season garden display for the enjoyment of residents in surrounding towers.   

Photo: Jacob Petersen

The developer’s initial vision for the landscape was to create a private park for condominium owners at podium level over an elevated garage, entirely separated from surrounding streets and traffic noise.   The City of Chicago, however, wanted the park be publicly accessible and developed at street-level, with the garage entirely underground.  The landscape design satisfies the needs of both parties.  The garage is partially elevated, yet entirely concealed within faceted park surfaces.  Sloped street-facing gardens, fountains, and terraces engage passing vehicles and pedestrians, while buffering interior recreational and seating areas from traffic noise.  The landscape is privately-owned and publicly accessible. 

Photo: Jacob Petersen   

The developer’s initial vision for the landscape was to create a private park for condominium owners at podium level over an elevated garage, entirely separated from surrounding streets and traffic noise.   The City of Chicago, however, wanted the park be publicly accessible and developed at street-level, with the garage entirely underground.  The landscape design satisfies the needs of both parties.  The garage is partially elevated, yet entirely concealed within faceted park surfaces.  Sloped street-facing gardens, fountains, and terraces engage passing vehicles and pedestrians, while buffering interior recreational and seating areas from traffic noise.  The landscape is privately-owned and publicly accessible.  

Photo: Jacob Petersen  

The developer’s initial vision for the landscape was to create a private park for condominium owners at podium level over an elevated garage, entirely separated from surrounding streets and traffic noise.   The City of Chicago, however, wanted the park be publicly accessible and developed at street-level, with the garage entirely underground.  The landscape design satisfies the needs of both parties.  The garage is partially elevated, yet entirely concealed within faceted park surfaces.  Sloped street-facing gardens, fountains, and terraces engage passing vehicles and pedestrians, while buffering interior recreational and seating areas from traffic noise.  The landscape is privately-owned and publicly accessible. 

Photo: Jacob Petersen   

The garage lid was faceted in parallel with the sloping planes of the park, creating a uniform shallow layer of planting soil over the structure.  This required close collaboration between landscape design team and garage structural engineers.  Increased soil depth at tree groves was achieved by locally depressing the garage slab to the bottom of the concrete beams. 

Horticulturist Galen Gates of the Chicago Botanic Gardens was engaged to help develop a plant palette that would thrive in this challenging on-structure, lakeside installation.  Tough regional native plants are utilized throughout the park, and stormwater is directed to rock-filled infiltration basins along the edges of the garage.    

Photo: Jacob Petersen

The garage lid was faceted in parallel with the sloping planes of the park, creating a uniform shallow layer of planting soil over the structure.  This required close collaboration between landscape design team and garage structural engineers.  Increased soil depth at tree groves was achieved by locally depressing the garage slab to the bottom of the concrete beams. 

Horticulturist Galen Gates of the Chicago Botanic Gardens was engaged to help develop a plant palette that would thrive in this challenging on-structure, lakeside installation.  Tough regional native plants are utilized throughout the park, and stormwater is directed to rock-filled infiltration basins along the edges of the garage.    

Photo: Jacob Petersen

The garage lid was faceted in parallel with the sloping planes of the park, creating a uniform shallow layer of planting soil over the structure.  This required close collaboration between landscape design team and garage structural engineers.  Increased soil depth at tree groves was achieved by locally depressing the garage slab to the bottom of the concrete beams. 

Horticulturist Galen Gates of the Chicago Botanic Gardens was engaged to help develop a plant palette that would thrive in this challenging on-structure, lakeside installation.  Tough regional native plants are utilized throughout the park, and stormwater is directed to rock-filled infiltration basins along the edges of the garage.    

Photo: Jacob Petersen