Our response to the competition for the new kiosk design for the Chicago Lakefront was to design an object that sits in the landscape of the Lake Michigan waterfront and contributes to the urban realm both in operation and after hours and during the winter months when it is nonoperational. Our approach was to design a kiosk that folded open and closed to signify as to when the kiosk was open as well as be part of the lakefront environment day and night. This is similar to a flower that opens and closes, the design being based on the Violet, the State of Illinois flower.

The kiosk will open and close with a dramatic folding action of the petals mounted on the roof of the kiosk. The petals are derived in form and colour of the Violet. Throughout the hot summer, the unfolded kiosk ‘petals’ will provide shade for visitors to sit comfortably and enjoy whatever commercial function the kiosk might serve. In winter, the kiosk will be folded closed to create a tall, sculptural form. The kiosk itself is a simple structure in the round with folding openings to allow for service to the public as well as back of house servicing.

This allows the kiosk to remain an iconic attraction through the colder winter months, as its sculptural form will be illuminated from within transforming it into an attractive marker within the lakefront landscape. It will become a wayfinding point that will help visitors to navigate through the park or along the waterfront at night and in winter. Thus, the kiosk will be both a social gathering place when open and an intriguing piece of sculpture during the winter months.