Inspired by the lullaby poem, “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod,” by the park’s namesake, Eugene Field, and its imagery of children sailing into dreams, the project, “Field Center: A River of Crystal Light,” creates a new gathering and performance space that feels both comforting and imaginative. The building’s design aims to be both contextual and surprising, carefully positioned within the park to be shrouded by trees and landscaped mounds from a distance and unfolding intimately as visitors encounter and engage the new intervention. The design embraces the Living Building Challenge, aligning with Oak Park’s sustainability goals while preserving the site’s natural contours. In this way, the site design and building positioning was driven by the existing park and its mature growth tree canopy. Designing around the existing landscape created a “tucked in” effect, contributing to the coziness and wonder of the space. The proposal reveals layers of history on the site – from Precolumbian mounds to Field’s childhood to its current use in the present day. The highly recognizable surrounding Prairie Style architectural language of horizontal lines, grouped windows, and deep overhangs was reinterpreted and applied with a rhythm evocative, once again, of Field’s poetry. Bringing together material history, poetry, ecological sensitivity, and community-driven artistic expression, the project generates a new vision for innovative and conceptually rich civic spaces. The resulting structure honors its particular place, invites imagination, and celebrates the durational unfolding of narrative storytelling, much like a wooden shoe floating down a “River of Crystal Light.”
Project Information
Clients: Park District of Oak Park (Competition Entry)
Size: 5,600 SF new construction
Team: Josh Mings, Jason Pion
Links: Park District seeks feedback on OP’s Field Center Designs (Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest)
