30 for 30: Old Cook County Hospital Adaptive Reuse

As part of UrbanWorks’ 30th anniversary celebrations, we are featuring 30 projects from over the years that highlight our breadth of experience and passion for the built environment. UrbanWorks’ concept proposal for the once-vacant Old Cook County Hospital on Chicago’s West Side reimagined it as a multi-use hub, as part of a design competition in 2014, winning a 2015 ALA Merit Award! The classical facade was proposed to be repurposed as an office building, anchoring new constructions like a childcare center, school, and hotel surrounding a new park. A landscape bridge would have expanded the park over the Eisenhower Expressway, connecting to emerging areas near the Medical Center. Additional new structures would have offered assisted living, retail, and student housing, positioning the renovated hospital as a central civic hub. Thanks to our competition hosts: Metropolitan Planning Council, Cook County, and the Chicago Architecture Center.