A new Chicago Transit Authority
Morgan Street Elevated Station presents a unique opportunity, in the historic
Fulton Market District, to define the geographic center and the character of an
industrial loft area that is transforming into a multi-faceted neighborhood.
The
same site had an elevated station from 1893 to 1948, at which time it was
closed and demolished due to lack of regular use. The Market is still identified by its sights,
sounds and smells, being comprised of wholesale and retail meat and produce
vendors, but today, it is the rich combination of warehouses, industrial
spaces, off-the-beaten-path restaurants, specialty food purveyors, loft
conversions and boutique stores that are the essence of the neighborhood’s
character. To reinforce this character,
material selections for the project take their cues from the
neighborhood—steel, glass, concrete, polycarbonate, granite and cast iron are
all used in adjacent structures.
The
new stationhouses have been located at grade level at the corner of Morgan and
Lake Streets in an effort to maximize station visibility and pedestrian access
from the active Randolph Street corridor to the south. New trees, landscaping and
artist-commissioned bicycle racks are located along Lake Street in an effort to
soften the industrial character of this area.
Wide,
clear corners at the intersection improve visibility for both pedestrians and
drivers, and state-of-the-art surveillance cameras have been installed to
improve pedestrian and rider security.
Accessibility,
durability, and ease of maintenance were prime functional concerns for the
project. Each stationhouse has an
ADA-compliant elevator that provides passengers with disabilities access to the
platform level. Additionally, a
pedestrian access bridge, also reachable by elevator, has been provided to
permit easy accessible transfer between inbound and outbound platforms.
Materials
have been chosen to permit visibility through the station and reinforce the
feeling of openness. The canopies above
the platform level are constructed from translucent polycarbonate panels which
provide weather protection for passengers, permit natural light to reach the
platform, and with their low weight, allow for less canopy structure, thereby
reducing overall cost. The lightweight
nature of the panels also allows for easy replacement. The transfer bridge,
elevator enclosures and grade level entries are comprised mostly of transparent
glazing, and stair towers and guardrails are comprised of perforated stainless
steel panels all in an effort to achieve this desired openness.
Sustainability
was a project goal: steel and concrete are the predominantly used
materials—these each consist of high amounts of recycled content. Polycarbonate panels have both a high
recycled content and are regionally produced, granite flooring was extracted
from regional quarries, and glazing was regionally produced. The project landscaping is drought tolerant,
requires no irrigation and minimizes storm water runoff. New bicycle racks encourage the use of
alternative transportation.
While
emblematic of the neighborhood, the project asserts itself as part of a larger
context—the CTA’s rapid transit system and its relationship to the City of
Chicago. The location of this station
with its sweeping views of the skyline, along with its form that provides a
sense of enclosure for the elevated tracks, creates both a literal and
metaphorical gateway to the Chicago Loop, and serves as a strong emblem of the
modernity of Chicago’s mass transit system.