University of Chicago Midway Crossings

The Midway Plaisance played a major role in the 1893 Columbian Exhibition as the location for the first Ferris wheel, the electric light bulb, and Little Egypt. BauerLatoza Studio is working with the University of Chicago and the Chicago Park District to create three enhanced streetscape crossings through the historic Plaisance located within the heart of the University of Chicago Campus. The conceptual ideas for these crossings have been envisioned and detailed by the New York artist James Carpenter who continues to be an integral part of the design team.

The plan for the Midway Plaisance was originally designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1871, as a water-filled channel that would connect the Washington and Jackson Park lagoons with four bridges across it, linking the adjacent neighborhoods. This vision has never been realized.

Through this project, BauerLatoza Studio will design and oversee the construction of three enhanced crossings of the Midway at Ellis (2010), Woodlawn (2010), and Dorchester (2012) Avenues. These structures will respect the ideas of Olmsted, while providing a modern and functional design that links Chicago’s Hyde Park and Woodlawn neighborhoods. The Midway Crossings will provide spaces for passive recreation and relaxation for university students, personnel, and local residents. Their plaza-like character can also support special markets and events programmed for the Midway. The project includes coordination with the Mayor’s Office of Persons with Disabilities (MOPD) and the Mayor’s Landscape Advisory Task Force (MLATF). These bridges will help realize the Midway Plaisance Master Plan to enhance the park as a local destination.

  • Client: The University of Chicago
  • Project Address: The crossings of the Midway at Ellis, Woodlawn, and Dorchester Avenues, Chicago, Illinois
  • Project Size: 1,900 feet (length)
  • Construction Cost: $10 million
  • Services Provided: Programming, Design Documents, Construction Documents, Landscape and Site Design, Construction Administration