Polish Triangle Winter Cover Competition

Chopin Theatre created, developed and led a community project to design, manufacture and install a new winter cover for Nelson Algren Fountain located at intersection of Ashland Avenue, Milwaukee Avenue and Division Street in Chicago, a.k.a. Polish Triangle. The RFP is a two-stage process: Stage One – Concept competition and Stage Two – Final Design Proposals.

Goal was to make this pedestrian park in the middle of a busy intersection more inviting, safe and useful by replacing its current dilapidated plywood cover with an artistic, colorful, functional and reusable one.  The new cover would also be a welcome attraction encouraging visitors to the neighborhood through the winter months, when the fountain is inactive.

Designs that suggest functional uses for the fountain cover were encouraged such as lighting and sound. In addition suggestions included shielding concrete fountain basin as it currently exists; incorporate fountain basin into the design where possible, be easily installed and removed by City staff, sturdy to withstand winter months as well as repeal graffiti, tampering and vandalism.