Millennium Park

Located in downtown Chicago, IL, Millennium Park is considered to be the largest intensive green roof in the world.  The 24.5 acre park spans two sub-grade parking garages and an existing rail yard and features Frank Gehry’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa, the Lurie Garden, and Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate. 

The site was originally owned by the Illinois Central Railroad and was considered to be untouchable for nearly 150 years: the larger Grant Park was designed around the railway.  Though there were many attempts to add a park, plans were never implemented until the late 90’s when Mayor Richard M. Daley proposed a modest park with a budget of $150 million.  Four years past the original deadline and $325 million dollars over budget, the park opened in 2004 and is one of the most popular places in the city.     

The structural deck spanning the parking garages and rail yard was designed to support four feet of soil allowing for over 900 trees, shrubs, groundcovers, perennials, and annuals to be planted in the park1 creating shade, managing storm water, cleaning the air, reducing the urban heat island, and providing residents and visitors of Chicago with a fantastic place to enjoy the outdoor city.

To learn more about Millennium Park visit http://www.millenniumpark.org/.

1. Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, “Category: Intensive Industrial/Commercial,” http://www.greenroofs.org/washington/index.php?page=millenium.
Photo by Whitney Parks

Photos by Whitney Parks