(Left) With Marina City looking on, this illustration by SOM showed how the Chicago Riverwalk would look after construction finished. (Click on image to view larger version.)

October 30, 2009 – A Chicago-based architectural and engineering firm was honored Friday evening for its design of the Chicago Riverwalk.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill received a Design Excellence Award from the Chicago Chapter of the American Institute of Architects for its “Chicago Riverwalk Main Branch Framework Plan.”

AIA’s 54th annual “Designight” was held at Navy Pier. 30 design awards were given in four categories, including Regional and Urban Design. Recipients were chosen by architects from 293 entries.

SOM describes the riverwalk plan, connecting by continuous walkway Lake Michigan to Lake Street, as “a bold vision for improvements to the public rights-of-way of the Main Branch of the Chicago River.”

SOM won another award for its work on the Chicago 2016 Olympic Master Plan. Other Loop winners were the new CBS 2 Broadcast Center on State Street and the parking ramp at 111 South Wacker.

Hosted by television and radio personality Bob Sirott, the event also honored Plan of Chicago architects Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett with Lifetime Achievement Awards.

At a cost so far of $22 million, the Chicago Riverwalk is currently completed up to the State Street bridge. Plans for the public walkway to go any further are dependent on the Chicago Department of Transportation raising money from federal, state, or local sources.

 MCO Pictorial: Chicago Riverwalk