New Aerial Cable Car in Chicago, Navy Pier, Architect, American Architecture, Skyline Images

New Aerial Cable Car in Chicago

Illinois Tourist Attraction, USA – design by Marks Barfield Architects / Davis Brody Bond

Design: Marks Barfield Architects and Davis Brody Bond

Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA

Plans revealed for aerial cable car in Chicago designed by Marks Barfield Architects and Davis Brody Bond

The Chicago Skyline is a proposed new aerial cable car tourist attraction linking Navy Pier, the Chicago Lakefront, the Riverwalk running alongside the Chicago River, and downtown Chicago.

May 4, 2016

New Chicago Aerial Cable Car

Launched yesterday by Lou Raizin and Laurence Geller CBE as part of a new vision for Chicago, the Chicago Skyline, if granted permission, will showcase an aerial vista of Chicago and its architectural heritage to the eyes of the world.

The Chicago Skyline is a sophisticated, environmentally friendly aerial cable car that will be a unique urban experience. Marks Barfield Architects, designers of the hugely successful London Eye, and Davis Brody Bond have designed state-of-the-art, custom-designed passenger pods or ‘gondolas’, that will enable visitors to appreciate the city’s lakefront, skyline and world-class architecture in a completely new way.

Lou Raizin commented:

“The Skyline is a prime example of how we can move Chicago from old guard to vanguard. We kept coming back to the same question: what’s our unique feature? Where’s our Eiffel Tower? Where’s our Big Ben? These ideas are our attempt to answer this question and are intended to start a conversation in the city about what we would like our reputation to be in the future.”

In the tradition of the early Loop, the City Beautiful movement, and generations of Chicago skyscrapers, the Skyline blends modern engineering with deeply rooted architectural values. The Skyline was inspired by practical need, in this case connecting the cultural and recreational nucleus of Navy Pier with downtown transportation nodes. As it skirts and energizes the newly developed Riverwalk, its design brings a quiet sense of unity and animation to Chicago’s populated urban core.

David Marks, director at Marks Barfield Architects, said:

“The Chicago Skyline could do for Chicago what the London Eye has done for London, and become a very identifiable landmark within the city, driving tourism and prosperity. Gently fitting in and standing out at the same time, it will allow local people and visitors alike to appreciate the city and its world-class architecture from a completely new perspective, stimulating Chicago’s tourism industry. Its design touches the ground lightly and with an environmentally sensitive and delicate presence – like jewels in a necklace – energizing the city’s Riverwalk, and attracting the eyes of the world.”

Steven Davis, Partner at Davis Brody Bond LLP, said:

“The Skyline, as a concept, originated during the Navy Pier Pier Competition in 2010. I realized that without creating an innovative mode of transport, directly connecting the Loop with Navy Pier, we would leave a trove of potential visitors untapped. The Skyline is the embodiment of that idea. And what an exciting proposal it is!”

This year-round attraction will operate into the evening hours, offering a unique experience and magnificent views. The Skyline’s route will run from Navy Pier soaring over the great Chicago River and fly over the Riverwalk taking visitors downtown.

The team behind the Chicago Skyline comes with the benefit of the experience of the lessons learnt from the London Eye. The passenger-carrying pods, ride and drive systems will be manufactured by Leitner-Poma, who built the London Eye capsules. The engineering design has been developed with Jacobs, who are the London Eye’s principle engineers.

see link at 26.42:
Film on YouTube

Lou Raizin
Lou Raizin has over 30 years’ experience in the entertainment industry. As a founder and the prime mover behind Broadway In Chicago, a joint theatrical venture formed in 2000, his leadership propelled the transformation of Chicago from a short-term stop on ‘the road’ to the third most important city in the world for theater. Raizin¹s focus on economic development, tourism and culture has led to the creation and continued sponsorship of the annual League of Chicago Theater¹s Emerging Theater Award and the Illinois High School Musical Theatre Award. Raizin¹s stint as Chair of the Chicago Loop Alliance led to the creation of Pop Up Art Loop, comprised of over 14 galleries, and a number of major public art projects in the city. Raizin serves on the Executive Committee of Choose Chicago, and has chaired the State Street Commission and serves as a director of a number of other civic and not-for-profit organizations.

Laurence S. Geller CBE
Laurence S. Geller CBE is currently Chairman, Geller Investment Co. Mr.Geller is an accomplished businessman and entrepreneur who has led multi-national corporations in the hospitality industry, most recently as President and Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: BEE), a company he founded in 1997. Prior to Strategic Hotel Capital, L.L.C., Mr. Geller was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Geller & Co., a gaming, tourism and lodging advisory company he founded in 1989. Geller & Co. specialized in domestic and international hotel, corporate and real estate development, financing, structuring, restructuring, and asset management. Previously, Mr. Geller held positions as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Hyatt Development Corporation, Senior Vice President of Holiday Inns, Inc. (responsible for initially the International Division and subsequently, the North American Division¹s growth, franchising, and operations) and Director of Grand Metropolitan Hotels in London. Mr. Geller serves on the Boards of Michels & Taylor (London) Ltd., and Dolphin Capital Investment Limited.

About Marks Barfield Architects
Marks Barfield Architects is one of the UK’s most versatile and innovative architecture practices. Founded in 1989 by David Marks and Julia Barfield, the practice uses its creative approach to provide visionary, formally exciting and technically astute solutions to a broad range of project types that range from schools and offices to bridges and infrastructure. Best known as the practice that conceived and designed the world-famous London Eye, Marks Barfield Architects has grown a practice with a unique entrepreneurial experience, giving it a deep understanding of the development process facing its clients, as well as valuable insights into specialisms such as fundraising and stakeholder engagement. The bold, do-it-yourself example set by Marks Barfield is an important precursor to the adventurous, self-initiated, socially engaged work of architects of the “pop-up” generation. In Summer 2016, Marks Barfield Architects will open British Airways i360, a 450ft observation tower originated and designed by the practice that will offer a new perspective of Brighton and Hove, England, adding to an extensive portfolio of completed leisure projects that includes the Kew Gardens treetop walkway.

Davis Brody Bond, LLP
Davis Brody Bond has long been recognized for its contributions to the urban fabric of major cities. The firm’s work is characterized by transformative results to complex challenges within a diverse portfolio of civic, academic and cultural buildings. Combining social responsibility with design excellence, Davis Brody Bond has received more than 150 design awards including the AIA Firm Award and the Presidential Award for Design Excellence. Significant commissions include the design of the National September 11 Memorial Museum at the WTC site; the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of African American History and Culture on the Mall in Washington, DC; a new US Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia; and the new Portico Gallery for The Frick Collection in New York. In Chicago, Davis Brody Bond designed the Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center and the Lurie Research Building for Northwestern University. The firm was a recent finalist in an international design competition to re-imagine Chicago’s iconic Navy Pier.

New Aerial Cable Car in Chicago images / information received 4th May 2016

Davis Brody Bond Architects and Planners

Marks Barfield Architects

Website : Davis Brody Bond

Location:Navy Pier, Chicago, IL, United States ‘