Steel Project Case Study Gallery: Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park, Chicago: Frank Gehry

Terri Meyer Boake BES BArch MArch LEED AP
Associate Professor :: Associate Director :: School of Architecture :: University of Waterloo

Millennium Park:
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Frank Gehry Architect

Chicago, Illinois

Project Information:

The Jay Pritzker Pavilion, designed by Frank Gehry Architect, is the new home for Chicago's Grant Park Symphony, which for nearly seventy years has been providing free summer concerts in downtown Chicago. The name of the bandshell refers to Chicago's Pritzker family, owners of Hyatt Hotels and the Marmon Group.

The bandshell, built atop a sublevel muncipal parking garage, is the centerpiece of the city's new $475,000,000 Millennium Park, which was constructed partially on the site of an older park that had fallen into massive disrepair, and partially over tracks that were originally built by the Illinois Central Railroad in the early 18th century. The bandshell is comprised of an exposed structural steel frame (made from both round HSS and WF sections), clad on the front with stainless steel panels.

The bandshell has seating for 4,000, with room for another 7,000 people on the broad lawn behind the fixed seating. The lawn is "covered" by a trellis of round HSS tubes.

more info: link

link to BP bridge

link to Cloud Gate

Project Images:


View looking up the stainless steel panels on the bandshell facade.	View of one of the piers that supports the round HSS tubes that span over the field.


View of the rear of the bandshell showing the long round HSS supports that tie the curved sections back to their support points.	Detailed view of round HSS atop pier.


View of rear of bandshell panel. The main shaped frame is comprised mainly of WF sections, with the diagonal supporting members, round tubes.	Detailed view of junction of 5 tubes at their foundation support.


The welds on the AESS have all been left "as is", not ground.	View along the edges of the shells, towards the stage and seating area.


View up into the shells and their truss support system over the stage area.	Connection detail of WF frame that forms the shell, at the base connection.


Hinge connection at intersection of two shells. Slotted holes allowed for alignment of the panels during erection.	Top view of tube intersection connection.


View of the pavilion from the BP Bridge adjacent.	View of HSS tube intersection points along center of field.


View of rear of shell showing WF connections and round HSS support points.	Alternate view of hinge connection at panel intersection.


Base detail of panel. The caliper connection allowed for careful alignment of the panels, which needed to be adjustable for angle.	Rear support connection detail between round tubes, square tubes and WF members.