Chicago Skyline
Location: Chicago
Sector: Leisure and Sports, Transport, Cable Car
Status: Proposed
Team
Architects: Marks Barfield Architects and Davis Brody Bond
Engineers: Jacobs
The Chicago Skyline is a sophisticated, environmentally friendly aerial cable car that will offer a unique urban experience. Marks Barfield Architects 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 from a completely new perspective. They are entirely responsible for the design of the pods, the pylons and a number of stations along the route. Davis Brody Bond is Marks Barfield Architects’ US partner for the project.
In the tradition of the early Loop, the City Beautiful movement, generations of Chicago skyscrapers, and the Skyride 1933, 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.
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.
The following video produced by F10 Studios showcases the proposed aerial cable car.
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