Opening Burnham Pavilion, Chicago

UNStudio's Burnham pavilion, commissioned for the centennial celebrations of the Plan of Chicago by Daniel H. Burnham and Edward H. Bennett, opened to the public on June 19th.

The pavilion, commissioned by the privately funded Burnham Plan Centennial Committee, draws ideas about opening Chicago’s rectangular grid from the Burnham Plan and offers windows onto Chicago skyline. Hidden beneath the sculptural form is a steel substructure made of material generously donated by ArcelorMittal.

The structure is designed to be deconstructed to maximize the recycling and re-use of the materials following the free exhibit’s closing later this year.

The Burnham Plan Centennial Committee commissioned UNStudio and Zaha Hadid to design pavilions as part of its 100th anniversary commemoration.

“Public art and visionary design are necessary for any city to play a global leadership role in the 21st Century,” said John Bryan, Burnham Plan Centennial Committee co-chair. “These two Burnham Pavilions make bold statements to the world, as did Millennium Park, about Chicago’s confidence in its future.”

Burnham Pavilions will be free and open to the public in Millennium Park from June 19 through October 31, 2009.
www.burnhamplan100.org