The Chicago Park District has designated space near Belmont Harbor for a new AIDS Garden. The site sits at the original location of the Belmont Rocks – an area where the local LGBTQ community gathered between the 1960s and 1990s. The garden’s mission is to pay homage to those who lost lives to HIV/AIDS and Chicago’s efforts to combat those afflicted with the disease, as well as provide an educational element about its current fight.

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The 2.5-acre garden located along the shoreline of Lake Michigan, just south of Belmont Harbor, highlights a 30-foot-tall sculpture designed by the late artist and activist Keith Haring and donated to the Park District.

As a subconsultant to Design Workshop,

 

VES provided electrical engineering services that included site lighting for the pathway flowing from an oval composition around the sculpture. This defines the primary circulation route that unifies the spaces of the garden.

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The AIDS Garden is a public space that brings together a diverse group of partners in support of this Chicago landmark. The garden serves as a place for reflection, celebration, hope, education, community, healing, and most of all, inclusion.

Project Facts

 

Location:  Chicago, IL

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Completion:  May 2022

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Size:  2.5 Acres

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Market:  Sports/Recreation

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Services:  Electrical Engineering