Many recent developments have occurred regarding the fate of Michael Reese Hospital located in Chicago’s historic Bronzeville neighborhood. The group leading the bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, Chicago2016 is planning to demolish the hospital, but the Gropius in Chicago Coalition, Preservation Chicago, Chicago Bauhaus and Beyond, and other organizations have been campaigning to preserve those buildings. Many of the buildings at MRH were designed by architects with Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius and the The Architects Collaborative. The landscape architecture designed by Hideo Sasaki and Lester Collins that mitigated traffic noise around MRH’s psychiatric institute.

Two public hearings addressed the plans to demolish MRH. The first was on Monday, July 20th, at Daley College. The following night a public hearing was held in Bronzeville. To find out more, please visit www.gropiuschicago.org.

It would be interesting to see if a soundwalk could happen by Michael Reese Hospital. Earlier this week, demolition bids were issued to several local companies. Abatement (removal of asbestos, etc.) has already begun. I’m not sure if it would be appropriate to have a soundwalk happen in the direct vicinity of MRH, later this summer… Apartment complexes and other properties border the hospital campus. If a soundwalk happens during the abatement process, the soundwalk participants would be hearing what the residents of that neighborhood would be hearing. A soundwalk could possibly happen there at the end of August / beginning of September.

Continue reading A Soundwalk Idea for Chicago’s Bauhaus District by the Michael Reese Hospital Campus