Bradley Miller

9.23.14

LSA 220 Introduction to Landscape Architecture

Reflection #1 Chicago Fell In Love
In her article, Chicago Fell In Love, author Thasa Way explores the Lurie Garden
project in Millenium Park and looks back over the past 10 years since it was first opened
to uncover what has made the project so successful. Way explains that one of the key
elements in making this project so successful is its strong design narrative. She explains
that by having a strong design narrative, other professionals are able to easily key in to
the original design and in the event that something needs to be tweaked, they can
retain the original design concepts while making only subtle changes. Way explains that
as the project has matured, numerous unforeseen changes had to be made such as the
removal of the Echinacea purpurea Rubinglow which was very susceptible to disease,
or the replacement of the decomposed granite pathways which couldnt handle the high
volume of traffic. In both of these cases, the professionals that worked to remedy the
problems unforeseen in the original design were able to blend their solutions with the
original design scheme seamlessly due to the strong design narrative driving the entire
project. Way explains that another key element to a successful project is the
establishing of long-term relationships between landscape architects and garden
stewards. Synergy between the original designer and the persons maintaining the
project for the years to come is important to ensure that a project continues to stay true
to the original design as it matures. All in all, the success of the Lurie Garden project
owes itself to the presence of a strong driving narrative and the synergy between the
stewards and the original designer.