4th Annual Design Competition 2022

A NEW VISION FOR THE COURT OF THE PRESIDENTS

Rationale

The Court of the Presidents is east of South Michigan Avenue in Grant Park and is divided into two areas of equal size north and south of the approach to East Ida B. Wells Drive, on axis with the Buckingham Fountain.

The North Court of the Presidents features formal gardens surrounding a 150-foot-wide exedra flanked by classical columns designed by architect Stanford White in 1908. “Abraham Lincoln: The Head of State” is positioned at its center, a bronze sculpture of a seated Lincoln by Augustus Saint-Gaudens.  The exedra and sculpture are to remain; the surrounding gardens are open to redevelopment as part of this competition.

The South Court of the Presidents was, until recently, additional formal gardens. Within the past decade, the City of Chicago has used the area to showcase contemporary artwork by Chicagoans. This entire area, including the gardens and artwork, is open to redevelopment as part of this competition, as is the airspace above the sunken railroad track bed west of both the North and South Courts (the tracks are to remain). 

This competition imagines a hypothetical situation where this entire area may either be designed to “complete” the Court of the Presidents by memorializing past leaders of the USA, or entrants may reimagine the entire park as a monument to another purpose or aspect of life in this country.  Architecture, landscape architecture and public art may all be proposed as part of a proposal.

Schedule

1 June 2022
Registration opens  
Mail a completed “Intent to Enter” form and check for $25 as directed.

15 July 2022
Jury members announced

15 Aug 2022
Registration closes; Intent to Enter forms received, entry numbers emailed

18 Sept 2022
Submissions due, timestamped by 11:59 pm CDT

19 Sept – 7 Oct 2022
Jury deliberation

8 Oct 2022 Winner is announced at the Acanthus Awards — Wintrust Grant Banking Hall

Submission Requirements

The drawing requirements listed below are kept to a minimum to encourage maximum creativity on overall composition.  The use of the “analytique” approach, referring to an artful arrangement of individual drawings, is strongly encouraged as a presentation strategy.  Explanatory text should be kept to a minimum.  Any production method may be used, in digital or hand-drawn medium.

Required Drawings:

1. (1) Overall Site plan

2. (1) Overall elevation

3. (1) Full site section

4. (1) Perspective

All drawings should include titles, graphic scales, and figures for visual scale.

All plans are to include a compass and are encouraged to have the same orientation.

All text on the drawings is to be a minimum of 20 point for titles, 12 point for other.

Other optional drawings that further describe the unique elements of the submission, such as concept diagrams, ornamental details, materials and finishes, garden hardscape and softscape, architectural elements, and water features.

Project submissions should follow the following guidelines:

• Final presentations are to be submitted as a single PDF file, with a maximum file size of 12MB

• They must be formatted for 24” x 36” display on two (2) boards

• Both boards must have vertical page orientation

• Boards should include an unobtrusive indication of the page ordering on the sheet (e.g. “1 of 2” or “left”/ “right”)

• No indication of the name(s) of submitting individuals, teams or firms should appear on the boards.

Participation fee is $25 for ICAA members and member teams/firms, and $50 for non-ICAA entrants or entrant teams/firms.  The entrance fee is to be submitted with a completed Intent to Enter registration form. Instructions for digital submissions will be emailed after the registration period has ended.  The instructions will include a submission number which must be included within the submission.

Judging

The competition’s procuring body is the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, and as such, judging should be expected to reflect an understanding and appreciation of Classical design as being most appropriate for design submissions.

A diverse jury of local business and design leaders will select three winners from the submitted entries with no knowledge of authorship.  The awards will be presented at an event in October at a location TBD and ticket prices to be announced at a later date.

Prizes will be awarded as follows: First Place: $3,500; Second Place: $1,500; Third Place: $500.  Winning entries will also be printed as 24×36 posters for display at future Chicago ICAA sponsored events, including the Acanthus Awards.  The ICAA reserves the right to digitally display any entries on the ICAA Chicago-Midwest website.