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Public Works Project
Jackson Park Animal
Bridge, Chicago
In a city known for its
innovative bridge designs, this is one of the most fanciful examples of a
bridge type in Chicago. It was the winning entry in a 1903 competition
sponsored by the South Park Commission and its architect was Peter Weber,
who had worked with Daniel Burnham and Frederick Law Olmsted on the design
of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition (also located in Jackson Park).
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This bridge, which spans a portion of the
park’s extensive system of lagoons, features wind and water-related
themes, including the carvings of ship prows, water deities, and the heads
of hippos and rhinos. Over the years, the protruding animal heads had
been damaged by vandals and the entire bridge was discolored from
pollution, road salts, and graffiti. In January 2002, as part of major
improvements to South Lake Shore Drive, the Chicago Department of
Transportation began a three-year reconstruction effort for the bridge.
Granite and sandstone elements were removed, cleaned, and repaired or
replicated; the road was widened by 50 feet; and the masonry cladding was
reinstalled in its original placement.
Photo Credits: Johnson Lasky Architects
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