Rios Clementi Hale Studios was chosen by the GSA to develop short-term improvement concepts for the Chicago Federal Campus Expansion. Quincy Court transformed a service alley into an outdoor pedestrian public space. The design includes abstracted tree-like canopy structures made of steel and translucent acrylic panels, custom-designed site furniture that provides a variety of seating configurations and hardscape improvements.

The improvements provide a transitional scale between the monumental architecture of the Federal Center and the pedestrian scale of Historic State Street. The canopy structures and hardscape details tell the story of the site by alluding to neighborhood elements: honey locust trees that create vibrant seasonal interest, white terra cotta detailing of historic Chicago buildings, the Miesian grid of the
modernist plaza and the reflected light patterns of the surrounding facades.

The improved Quincy Court creates a unique public space in Chicago. What was originally intended as a short-term improvement project has become a destination place, one that may remain a permanent feature of the urban experience even as the GSA continues to develop the site.
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