We are excited to announce that F.H. Paschen has received the ENR Midwest Best Project Award in the Airport/Transit category for our work on the Damen Green Line Elevated CTA Station.
The Damen Green Line Elevated CTA Station is the first new CTA station on the West Side in decades. When the original Damen Station closed in 1948, area residents were left with a serious transportation gap in the 1.5-mile corridor. This $80.5 million project now serves as a hub for the Kinzie Industrial Corridor, the United Center, Malcolm X College, and the surrounding residential area.
Perkins & Will, CDOT’s design partner, chose the materials and design to create an intuitive user experience and an elegant transit facility. A grand stair and escalator, visible through the glass façade, guides passengers to the platform level. A glass bridge connects the inbound and outbound train platforms, offering views of the Chicago skyline and orienting visitors to neighborhood destinations. All glass in this project was treated with custom frit patterns, designed to minimize bird strikes in transparent areas. Additional sustainable features include natural ventilation for passenger spaces and the use of a mass timber roof deck in lieu of a traditional steel deck.
Working closely with Perkins & Will to ensure the design intent was achieved, F.H. Paschen constructed the new station structure, which includes a three-story 8,700-square-foot (SF) station house with floor-to ceiling-windows and a unique NLT structural ceiling. The front granite slab plaza contains architectural lighting, two honey locust trees, and a new bus stop with underlit benches and a custom CTA sign. The station offers two elevators with the north elevator being completely enclosed in glass. Upon entry into the station, there is a 1,260-SF mosaic mural created by local artist Folayemi (Fo) Wilson.
The design of the pedestrian bridge required AESS as a key feature, and the bridge required AESS 4, the highest quality meant to create a flawless surface on showcase elements. To achieve AESS 4 standard, we had to fabricate as much of the bridge as possible in the shop. F.H. Paschen fabricated the bridge in two halves and loaded them onto a barge that traveled up the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal to the South Branch of the Chicago River. We then unloaded the bridge at the site of “The 78,” placed the bridge sections onto trucks, and transported them the remaining 4.5 miles to the jobsite. Once the two halves of the bridge were on-site, we used a combination of welded connections and Cast Connex Diablo connectors to splice them together into a complete structure.
The new Damen Green Line station provides easier access to public transportation for residents and offers sustainable transportation options such as bike-sharing and pedestrian-friendly spaces. The station is also the proud home of Chicago’s 1,000th Divvy Bike Station. By restoring services to the neighborhood, the City of Chicago expects the station to spur economic growth by attracting businesses and creating new job opportunities in the area.
This honor from ENR Midwest recognizes the significance this project had on local development and neighborhood connectivity. The Damen Green Line Elevated CTA Station was a huge milestone for the City of Chicago, highlighting innovative design and community impact. F.H. Paschen is proud to have been a part of this transformative project.
View the original article and our Inspiration here
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