Millennium Park: Creating a Chicago Landmark

摘要

Never has so much been claimed for one public space. Chicago's Millennium Park, the single subject of this book, is described not only as "an entirely new kind of cultural philanthropy", it is, in the words of Chicago Historical Society president Gary T. Johnson, "the future" (p. x). Here, in one space in the heart of a major American city, is the physical manifestation of globalized art, political intrigue, corporate influence and economic power. In a nutshell, from 1998 to 2004 Chicago transformed a 24-acre rail yard that separated the heart of the city from its lakefront into a civic centre. Timothy J. Gilfoyle's methodical, lavishly illustrated endeavour to give Millennium Park "the history it deserves" (p. xi) leaves readers with little doubt that the park ought to have this place in history. What makes Millennium Park distinctive is its complex and politically-charged lineage, its visible merger of past and future, and, as a work of design, its intermingling of art, architecture and landscaping. The author is to be commended for painstakingly working through the many proposals, counter-proposals, and above all, characters that make up the story of Millennium Park. There are details about meetings, where they took place and when, donations made and how they were garnered, and how everything transpired through the public media. This makes for an interesting, if at times plodding, story of urban social history.