COMED REC CENTER AT ADDAMS PARK

This award-winning first-of-its-kind 100,000 SF Chicago Park District facility is located on Chicago’s near west-side, on land adjacent to the former Chicago Housing Authority’s AABLA home development, serving the local residents, Pilsen, Chinatown, little Italy, and the city at large. The building houses indoor soccer, lacrosse, a running track, multi-use basketball, volleyball, badminton & roller skating, multi-purpose community spaces, lockers, offices, and support spaces. Outdoor amenities include turf baseball, soccer, and football.

The building was designed with community input to maximize program offerings, visibility, and access between interior and exterior program spaces. Color, supergraphics, and fenestration were utilized to reduce the perceived scale of the large facility, to announce entry and to support wayfinding against a varying palette of whites, grays and charcoal that bely the simplicity of the precast building enclosure.

Client budget and schedule were achieved through the employment of simple, durable, and cost-effective materials that facilitate fast construction, and through research that economized the structural system, thermal envelope and building enclosure. The project exceeded client expectations by achieving a unique balance of aesthetic grace, construction economy, durability, and function that will help serve as a model for future indoor soccer facilities contemplated by the Park District.