The Flame Park by Julissa Ortiz

Interaction with neighbors brings a community together. Chicago Lawn is an example of a community that doesn’t interact with one another as much. When I started to research the neighborhood I found out that before Chicago Lawn was what it is now, Dr. Martin Luther King walked through these streets in a protest for equality. When I found out about this I started to think of idea’s that represents people working together for a common goal. In this situation working together is the common goal. I intendant to create a park that people can get to know each other a bit more and a secure place where people can go and forget a bit about the violence around that neighborhood. While working on my ideas, I decide to construct a rock wall. The rock wall symbolized strength and how every brick relays on each other for support. Walking alone the path, you will see a sculpture that form top view appear to be a rose. This idea came to me when I was thinking about a concept. A flower is really fragile and can be ripped into pieces by practically anything just like the neighborhood. With all the violence happen in Chicago lawn and around the world, I want my park to symbolized a secure place were children of all ages can enjoy themselves. In the center of the sculpture, there is a fire place to repent the poetical in everyone. Lastly, I constructed a pavilion. In that space I intended to have a gathering space where people can sit on the steps or a space where they can interact with one another.

When I was in my brainstorming face of what should be in my pocket park and what should it be made up, I had a hard time thinking what should be in my pocket park. After a long week of thinking really hard, I decide to have a rock climbing wall. The wall will be made multiplex board. With this material it would be easy to drill holes for where the teens and kids hands and feet can be placed. On the other side there is going to be a huge slide made out of steel just like the ones in Maggie Daley Park. Walking a bit more into the park is the pavilion made also of steel and stain glass windows in between the cracks of the pavilion. The windows is to let light shine through and not make it look like a prison.