Transit Haven for Chicago (Experimental)
Portico, 2024
3D Modeling and Motion/Creative Direction
Role:
3D Designer
Timeline:
Course Project 2024
Software:
Autodesk Maya
Reclaiming the Roofscape
Unused space above the station becomes a new kind of refuge. The design introduces short-term housing for travelers and a public park that opens toward the Chicago River. Elevated green space brings nature back into the urban core, turning the roof into a place to pause and look outward over the city.
Unused space above the station becomes a new kind of refuge. The design introduces short-term housing for travelers and a public park that opens toward the Chicago River. Elevated green space brings nature back into the urban core, turning the roof into a place to pause and look outward over the city.
Linking Transit and Rest
Side parks extend beyond the main station to improve pedestrian flow and provide rest stops for short-term visitors. These spaces soften the edges of heavy infrastructure, creating transitions between movement and stillness while enhancing access to buses and nearby routes.
Side parks extend beyond the main station to improve pedestrian flow and provide rest stops for short-term visitors. These spaces soften the edges of heavy infrastructure, creating transitions between movement and stillness while enhancing access to buses and nearby routes.
Movement in Structures
The redesigned base expresses rhythm and energy through its facade geometry.
Angled forms and linear frames evoke the momentum of trains pulling into motion, giving the station a renewed visual identity rooted in flow and continuity.
The redesigned base expresses rhythm and energy through its facade geometry.
Angled forms and linear frames evoke the momentum of trains pulling into motion, giving the station a renewed visual identity rooted in flow and continuity.
Project Inspiration
I often travel by train in India, where the railways are a relaxing and affordable way for people from all walks of life to move across the country. India's railway stations are more than transit points; they are the lifeline of a nation. Every day they carry millions while offering essential amenities, rest spaces, and temporary housing for those waiting between trains. These stations function as living ecosystems that balance movement and community, efficiency and care.
Chicago, much like India's major rail hubs, sits at a crossroads of constant travel. As one of the country's busiest transportation centers, it can learn from this model by transforming Union Station into a place that connects routes while supporting the lives that move through it. Portico draws from this spirit of accessibility and resilience, creating a hub that serves travelers, locals, and the city alike.
I often travel by train in India, where the railways are a relaxing and affordable way for people from all walks of life to move across the country. India's railway stations are more than transit points; they are the lifeline of a nation. Every day they carry millions while offering essential amenities, rest spaces, and temporary housing for those waiting between trains. These stations function as living ecosystems that balance movement and community, efficiency and care.
Chicago, much like India's major rail hubs, sits at a crossroads of constant travel. As one of the country's busiest transportation centers, it can learn from this model by transforming Union Station into a place that connects routes while supporting the lives that move through it. Portico draws from this spirit of accessibility and resilience, creating a hub that serves travelers, locals, and the city alike.