New design awards celebrate Hydrogenerator Gensler teamed with
4240 Architecture have been awarded Silver in a new multi-
disciplinary design award, in recognition of their proposals for
turning water into electricity. The collaboration was formed to
create a proposal that transforms Chicago’s abandoned
Bloomingdale rail line into a three mile long greenhouse and
hydrogen generator that provides 10 acres of farm land year
round, powers city schools, and creates a beacon for the city.
The Spark Awards recognised the potential in the unbuilt project
awarding Gensler and 4240 Architecture with their Silver award.
Chicago’s Bloomingdale railroad viaduct runs through the city’s
heart, connecting neighbourhoods, the city’s park system, and
the Chicago River. The three-mile long elevated rail line was
abandoned in the 1980s and currently sits neglected, overtaken
by vegetation, garbage, and debris. It is at once an eyesore as
well as a beautiful wilderness set against a dense urban
backdrop. “Our city’s challenges ar