(Above) Environmentally-friendly reinterpretation of Marina City by design student Cameron Wudtke.

A skywalk connecting the 20th floors of the east and west tower – and turning a sea of concrete into an island of grass between the towers – were two ideas in a design student’s senior thesis in 2010 for making Marina City more sustainable.

“Although beautiful just the way [it is], I redesigned the complex to restore its relevance,” said Cameron Wudtke, an interior design student at Chicago’s Harrington College of Design.

Wudtke wanted to make the complex not just environmentally friendly but beneficial to the environment.

“The idea of creating a sustainable building extends further than green materials and products,” he explained. “No matter how ‘green’ the product, any consumption is still detrimental to the environment.”

In his re-design of Marina City, Wudtke got rid of the retail businesses but added a grocery store, health club, and daycare. An entrance (above) to the complex greets visitors toward the south side of the plaza level, and behind that a lawn (below) slopes down to the river.

Inside the towers, Wudtke made the condo units bigger. He added four-bedroom apartments with eight balconies. Some balconies would be enclosed in glass – others would have “living green walls” to offset carbon dioxide emissions and reduce urban heat. “In doing so,” said Wudtke, “I afforded additional square footage, more direct natural lighting, and better views of the city to the units.” (Left) Floor plan showing condo units made bigger by enclosing balconies with glass. (Click on image to view larger version.)

On the 20th floors, directly above the parking ramps, Wudtke added a café, lounges, and theater rooms to existing storage facilities. An appreciation for mid-century design and architecture led Wudtke to choose Marina City for his thesis. “The complex’s towers were the archetype for downtown high-rise living,” he said. “Bertrand Goldberg’s design solution is elegant, original, and progressive.” (Right) Wider view of final design.