Chicago Lighting Framework

JGMA has been selected by the City of Chicago as part of a team to design a world class city-wide lighting experience. Known as the Chicago Lighting Framework Plan, the initiative seeks to celebrate the “City of Lights” and its international status as a visionary city and to attract up to 50 million visitors before 2020. JGMA and the design team first see the project as a unique opportunity to bring awareness to the whole city of Chicago, including its distinct and diverse neighborhoods for which it is so well-known. Through lighting, multi-media and public transit connections, democratic access can be given to visitors, who then activate the entire city, not only the downtown civic center. Local street festivals, monuments, architecture and historical, arts and industrial districts become part of an urban circuit, visible to a global audience. Throughout the overall plan, the team has identified countless venues for individual installations. A few key moments could include the Chicago Riverwalk, iconic structures like the Chicago Opera Theater, Merchandise Mart and Museum of Science and Industry, downtown bridges, all ‘L’ train lines, and Lower Wacker Drive. As with all projects, JGMA aims to integrate sustainability features and energy innovations, as well as installations that are sensitive to bird migration. As stated by the mayor’s office and Choose Chicago, “Chicago has a rich history of innovation, events, architecture, museums, and festivals yet these are not reflected in how the rest of the world views Chicago. A world class lighting installation has the potential to change this perception of visitors as well as elevate the daily experience of Chicago residents”.