The Three Branches Dam &

Richard M Daley Wetlands

A Proposal to Re-Reverse the Chicago River

Ben Tolsky

The Three Branches Dam&

Richard M Daley Wetlands

A Proposal to Re-Reverse the Chicago River

Ben Tolsky

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0 Contents

The Problem and ProposalThe City-Wide Solution

The Local SolutionConcept

Plans and SectionsDiagrams

ModelsRenderings

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Contents

The Problem and ProposalThe Great Lakes Basin

A Brief History of Chicago and the Great LakesChicago Continental Divide, Past and Present

Chicago’s Transportation InfrastructureChicago’s Waterways

A Few Quick FactsThe Proposed Solution

The City-Wide SolutionThe Local Solution

ConceptPlans and Sections

DiagramsModels

Renderings

0 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1.1 The Great Lakes Basin

10,000 BC End of the Ice Age, Glaciers covering Midwest retreat, Great Lakes formed

1833 Chicago founded; First Welland Canal opened

2010 Asian Carp threaten the Great Lakes eco-system

1855 Chicago street level raised

1825 Erie Canal opened

1871 Great Chicago Fire

1900 Sanitary and Ship Canal opened, Chicago River reversed

1975 Deep Tunnel construction begins

1992 Great Chicago Flood1988 Zebra Mussels discovered in the Great Lakes

1922 Cal-Sag Channel opened

1848 Illinois & Michigan Canal opened; Chicago’s first railroad opened

1909 Daniel Burnham’s Plan of Chicago

1893 World's Columbian Exposition

1818 Illinois becomes the 21 statest

1933 Century of Progress; Lake Shore Drive becomes Chicago’s first highway1927 Midway Airport opened

1955 O’Hare Airport opened1956 St. Lawrence Seaway opened

1.2 A Brief History of Chicago and the Great Lakes

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1.3 Chicago’s Continental Divide Pre-1900

Chicago’s Continental Divide Today

1.4 Chicago’s Transportation Infrastructure

Diagram Compiled by Studio

flood barrier zone

lockport lock & dam

brandon rd.lock & dam

dresdenlock & dam

kankakee river

o’brian lock & dam

hoffmandam

55

90

355

290

294

90

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natural water way

man-made water way

approximate water basin divide

water treatment plant

damn and lock system

electric barrier system

pump house

bubble curtain & strobes

proposed flood barrier - 3’ - 8’concrete & metal screening, to be completed fall 2010

completed floor barrier - 3’ concrete & metal screening

asian carp DNA found

1.5 Chicago’s Waterways

Diagram Compiled by Studio

The Great Lakes account for 20% of the world’s fresh surface water.

They are the world’s second largest fresh water system after Lake Baikal in Siberia.

Chicagoans consume 1,000,000,000 gallons of Lake Michigan water every day.

Chicago diverts 2,100,000,000 gallons of Lake Michigan water towards the Gulf of Mexico every day.

X 2.1 BILLION

This is enough water to lower the level of Lake Michigan by almost 2” each year.

This water accounts for 70% of the flow in Chicago’s waterways.

Approximately 4% of this water is released into the waterways as raw sewage.

The remainder of this water is treated but not disinfected.

Chicago’s diversion accounts for almost half of the water taken from the Great Lakes Basin.

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Sources: Shedd Aquarium, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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Great Lakes Lake Baikal

1.6 A Few Quick Facts

1.7 The Proposed Solution

To prevent the threat of Asian Carp from entering the Great Lakes eco-system it will require a three part solution that will also address three other major problems confronting the city of Chicago. The overall goal is to create a more effi cient, profi table, and environmentally friendly Chicago with an improved riverfront.

The fi rst component of the plan is damming the South Branch of the Chicago River at the confl uence of the South, North, and Main branches. This site was selected for several reasons. First of all it will allow the city to connect its riverfront walk system downtown while expanding tourism opportunities along the Chicago River. Additionally it will force the city to immediately solve its sewage problems in the dense Downtown area and North Side of the city, while allowing the sewage problems on the less dense South and West Sides to be corrected incrementally at a fi nancially sustainable pace.

The second component of the system will be two large wetlands to be created at the mouth of the North Branch near the Baha’i Temple in Wilmette and at the mouth of the Main Branch South of Navy Pier. These wetlands will raise the level of the North and Main Branches of the Chicago River so that they are fi ve feet higher than average level of Lake Michigan. More importantly, the wetlands will clean the water that will fl ow from the North and Main Branches back into Lake Michigan, signifi cantly reducing the amount of water we divert from the Great Lakes Basin. The wetlands will also function as large ecological reserves with elevated walkways to be enjoyed by Chicagoans and visitors to our city.

The third and fi nal component will be placing one or more dams in the Lake Calumet region and creating the world’s largest landlocked intermodal port around it; while ensuring that Chicago will forever be the main hub for transportation and shipping within North America. The port will require facilities for transferring materials between barges from both sides of the dam, trains, and trucks, as well as transferring personal watercraft over the dam via land. The creation of this port will coincide with the streamlining of Chicago’s currently congested and poorly coordinated railroads. The location on Chicago’s far South Side will divert freight operations away from the city’s center as well as providing for effi cient East-West transportation across the continent.

With these proposed changes the South Branch of the Chicago River as well as the Cal-Sag Channel will maintain their current water levels. This will be controlled via the already existing Lockport Locks and, in the short-term, of the continued practice of dumping treated sewage from the South and West Sides into the river.

This proposal will focus mainly on the design of the South Branch dam, to be known as the Three Branches Dam, as well as give a basic conceptual design of the downtown wetlands, to be known as the Richard M Daley Wetlands. It is assumed that the Baha’i Temple will be involved with the design of the Wilmette wetlands, while the major freight lines in conjunction with a new port authority will design the dams and port to be created in the Lake Calumet region.

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2 ContentsThe Problem and Proposal

The City-Wide SolutionThe Chicago River, Present and Future

Re-Reversing the Chicago RiverRaising the Chicago River

Reimagining Chicago’s LakefrontA New Front Yard for Chicago

Redesigning the Chicago River Locks

The Local SolutionConcept

Plans and SectionsDiagrams

ModelsRenderings

0 1 2 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6

3 4 5 6 7 8

To St. L

ouis

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2.1 The Chicago River Today

To St. L

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The Chicago River of the Future

2.2 Re-Reversing the Chicago River

2.3 Raising the Chicago River

Buenos Aires & The Ecological Reserve Chicago

2.4 Reimagining Chicago’s Lakefront

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Chicago & The Ecological ReserveMiles ½ 1 2

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2.5 A New Front Yard for Chicago

Chicago from the Ecological Reserve

Buenos Aires from the Ecological Reserve

2.6 Redesigning the Chicago River Locks

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3 ContentsThe Problem and Proposal

The City-Wide Solution

The Local SolutionAn Environmentally Friendly Downtown

A City UnitedThe Current Confl uence of the North, South, and Main BranchThe Proposed Division of the North and South Chicago River

ConceptPlans and Sections

DiagramsModels

Renderings

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3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4

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3.1 An Environmentally Friendly Downtown

3.2 A City United

3.3 The Current Confl uence of the North, South, and Main Branch

3.4 The Proposed Division of the North and South Chicago River

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4 ContentsThe Problem and Proposal

The City-Wide SolutionThe Local Solution

ConceptCreate a Spectacle on the Riverfront

Design IdeasDesign Evolution

Plans and SectionsDiagrams

ModelsRenderings

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4 4.1 4.2 4.3

5 6 7 8

Glico ManDotonbori Canal, Osaka

4.1 Create a Spectacle on the Riverfront

A Symphony of LightsKowloon Peninsula, Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong

Fireballs, Crown CasinoYarra River, Melbourne

Sea LionsPier 39, San Francisco

???, Chicago River

4.2 Design Ideas

4.3 Design Evolution

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5 ContentsThe Problem and Proposal

The City-Wide SolutionThe Local Solution

Concept

Plans and SectionsGround Floor Plan

Ground Floor DiagramStructural System Plan

Structural System DiagramRoof Plan

Roof DiagramInterior Circulation Diagram

Exterior Circulation DiagramWest Side SectionEast Side Section

Radial SectionSection Comparison

DiagramsModels

Renderings

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5 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 5.11 5.12

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5.1 Ground Floor Plan 3/128” = 1’

5.2 Ground Floor Diagram 3/128” = 1’

5.3 Structural System Plan 3/128” = 1’

5.4 Structural System Diagram 3/128” = 1’

5.5 Roof Plan 3/128” = 1’

5.6 Roof Diagram 3/128” = 1’

CAFE

LIVING M

BEALLILIVVIVINNGGGG M

5.7 Interior Circulation Diagram 3/128” = 1’

HOT ICERIVER CRUISE

TICKET OFFICE

MACHINE

DOGS CREAM

ACHMMMAACACCHHIH NNENEE

BEA

5.8 Exterior Circulation Diagram 3/128” = 1’

HOT DOGS ICE CREAM

ACH

5.9 West Side Section 3/32” = 1’

5.10 East Side Section 3/32” = 1’

5.11 Radial Section 1/16” = 1’

Radial Section 1/16” = 1’

5.12 West Side Section 1/32” = 1’

5.12 East Side Section 1/32” = 1’

5.12 Radial Section 1/32” = 1’

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6 ContentsThe Problem and Proposal

The City-Wide SolutionThe Local Solution

ConceptPlans and Sections

DiagramsDiagramatic Section

Exploded AxonAxonometric Corner Detail

Western Section Structural AnalysisEastern Section Structural Analysis

ModelsRenderings

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6.1 Diagrammatic Section

6.2 Exploded Axon

6.3 Axonometric Corner Detail

Shear Diagram

Displaced Shape

6.4 Western Section Structural Analysis Structural Diagram

Shear Diagram

Displaced Shape

6.5 Eastern Section Structural Analysis Structural Diagram

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7 ContentsThe Problem and Proposal

The City-Wide SolutionThe Local Solution

ConceptPlans and Sections

Diagrams

Models

Renderings

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8 ContentsThe Problem and Proposal

The City-Wide SolutionThe Local Solution

ConceptPlans and Sections

DiagramsModels

Renderings

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