Gehry Partners, LLP - Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Gehry Partners, LLP
Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Millennium Park
Chicago, Illinois

Photo: arcspace

"How do you make everyone - not just the people in the seats, but the people sitting 400 feet away on the lawn - feel good about coming to this place to listen to music? The answer is, you bring them into it. You make the proscenium larger; you build a trellis with a distributed sound system. You make people feel part of the experience."
Frank Gehry

Located in Grant Park, along the edge of Lake Michigan, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion is an open-air venue featuring performances by the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra, as well as jazz, blues, and other world music performances.

Photo: arcspace

Clad in stainless steel panels, that frame the stage opening and connect to an overhead trellis of curved steel pipes, the Pavilion is a highly sculptural design element intended to act as a focal point for the Millennium Park.
The trellis, in the shape of a flattened dome, is supported by cylindrical concrete pylons clad in stainless steel panels.

Photo: arcspace

The sound system is suspended from the trellis that spans the entire 600 foot length and 300 foot width of the lawn area. This sound system gives the audience a fuller sense of the onstage sound and controls the sound level in the surrounding neighborhood.
Performance sound is reinforced and enhanced by speaker clusters located in front of the Pavilion.

Photo: arcspace

Seating for the audience is provided in two areas. The main seating area accommodates up to 4,000 people in fixed seats and is located immediately adjacent to the Pavilion. Beyond the main seating area, a lawn area accommodates an additional 7,000 people in a more informal environment.

Photo: arcspace

Photo courtesy Gehry Partners, LLP

The Pavilion features a series of portable risers that accommodates an orchestra of up to 120 musicians, and a choral terrace that accommodates a choir of up to 150 members. Back stage areas are shared with the adjacent Music and Dance Theater. Large glass doors allow the Pavilion to be used for public functions, banquets, receptions, and lectures, during the winter months.

The decorative lighting system enhances the Pavilion with colored light washes and projections during evening performances.

Photo: arcspace

A pedestrian bridge, spanning Columbus Drive, links the Pavilion to the eastern portion of Grant Park, and the edge of Lake Michigan.

Photo: arcspace

Busway and metro rail track run adjacent to Grant Park pass at the lowest level of the three level underground parking structure below the Pavilion.

Today, with the combination of architecture, monumental sculpture and landscape design, the 24.5 acre Millennium Park has become the crowning achievement for Chicago in the tradition of its original founders.
Anish Kapoor's huge Cloud Gate sculpture on the AT&T Plaza is immensely popular.

Photo: arcspace

The Jay Pritzker Pavilion was named in memory of Chicago business leader Jay Pritzker who, with his wife Cindy, established the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1979.

Drawing courtesy Gehry partners, LLP
Site Plan

Model photo courtesy Gehry partners, LLP

Total area: 95,000 square feet
Completed: 2004

Client: Millennium Park
Architect: Gehry Partners, LLP
Design Partner: Frank O. Gehry
Project Designer: Craig Webb
Project Architect: Manoucher Eslami
Project Team:
Reza Bagherzadeh
Chris Banks
Saffet Bekiroglu
Tom Besai
James Jackson
Leigh Jerrard
Kurt Komraus
Jason Luk
David May
Chris Mazzier
Frank Medrano
Sy Melgazo
Napolean Merana
Chris Mercier
Julianna Morais
Diego Petrate
Lynn Pilon
Birgit Schneider
Tensho Takemori
Scott Uriu
Adam Wheeler
Project Management: U.S. Equities
Structural Engineer: Skidmore Owings & Merrill
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer: McDonough Associates
Theatre Consultant/Lighting Designers: Schuler & Shook
Acoustical Consultant/Audio Systems Design: The Talaske Group

Gehry Partners, LLP arcspace features

November 5, 2007





				Features
		Gehry Partners, LLP Jay Pritzker Pavilion Millennium Park Chicago, Illinois Photo: arcspace "How do you make everyone - not just the people in the seats, but the people sitting 400 feet away on the lawn - feel good about coming to this place to listen to music? The answer is, you bring them into it. You make the proscenium larger; you build a trellis with a distributed sound system. You make people feel part of the experience." Frank Gehry Located in Grant Park, along the edge of Lake Michigan, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion is an open-air venue featuring performances by the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra, as well as jazz, blues, and other world music performances. Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace Clad in stainless steel panels, that frame the stage opening and connect to an overhead trellis of curved steel pipes, the Pavilion is a highly sculptural design element intended to act as a focal point for the Millennium Park. The trellis, in the shape of a flattened dome, is supported by cylindrical concrete pylons clad in stainless steel panels. Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace The sound system is suspended from the trellis that spans the entire 600 foot length and 300 foot width of the lawn area. This sound system gives the audience a fuller sense of the onstage sound and controls the sound level in the surrounding neighborhood. Performance sound is reinforced and enhanced by speaker clusters located in front of the Pavilion. Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace Seating for the audience is provided in two areas. The main seating area accommodates up to 4,000 people in fixed seats and is located immediately adjacent to the Pavilion. Beyond the main seating area, a lawn area accommodates an additional 7,000 people in a more informal environment. Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace Photo courtesy Gehry Partners, LLP The Pavilion features a series of portable risers that accommodates an orchestra of up to 120 musicians, and a choral terrace that accommodates a choir of up to 150 members. Back stage areas are shared with the adjacent Music and Dance Theater. Large glass doors allow the Pavilion to be used for public functions, banquets, receptions, and lectures, during the winter months. The decorative lighting system enhances the Pavilion with colored light washes and projections during evening performances. Photo: arcspace A pedestrian bridge, spanning Columbus Drive, links the Pavilion to the eastern portion of Grant Park, and the edge of Lake Michigan. Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace Busway and metro rail track run adjacent to Grant Park pass at the lowest level of the three level underground parking structure below the Pavilion. Today, with the combination of architecture, monumental sculpture and landscape design, the 24.5 acre Millennium Park has become the crowning achievement for Chicago in the tradition of its original founders. Anish Kapoor's huge Cloud Gate sculpture on the AT&T Plaza is immensely popular. Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace The Jay Pritzker Pavilion was named in memory of Chicago business leader Jay Pritzker who, with his wife Cindy, established the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1979. Drawing courtesy Gehry partners, LLP Site Plan Model photo courtesy Gehry partners, LLP Model photo courtesy Gehry partners, LLP Model photo courtesy Gehry partners, LLP Total area: 95,000 square feet Completed: 2004 Client: Millennium Park Architect: Gehry Partners, LLP Design Partner: Frank O. Gehry Project Designer: Craig Webb Project Architect: Manoucher Eslami Project Team: Reza Bagherzadeh Chris Banks Saffet Bekiroglu Tom Besai James Jackson Leigh Jerrard Kurt Komraus Jason Luk David May Chris Mazzier Frank Medrano Sy Melgazo Napolean Merana Chris Mercier Julianna Morais Diego Petrate Lynn Pilon Birgit Schneider Tensho Takemori Scott Uriu Adam Wheeler Project Management: U.S. Equities Structural Engineer: Skidmore Owings & Merrill Mechanical & Electrical Engineer: McDonough Associates Theatre Consultant/Lighting Designers: Schuler & Shook Acoustical Consultant/Audio Systems Design: The Talaske Group Gehry Partners, LLP arcspace features November 5, 2007