Built in 1981, the New City YMCA in Chicago’s Near North Side bridged two very different communities—the Cabrini-Green public housing complex and the affluent Lincoln Park Neighborhood. When HUD demolished Cabrini-Green in the late ‘90s, the YMCA’s membership declined and eventually in 2007, the building was also torn down.

To reconstruct and embody the vibrancy and connection that the building represented, the team created an installation made of three structures, each constructed of glazed bricks salvaged from the original YMCA.

The bricks on the face are organized based on the original building design. On the reverse side the bricks are collaged together representing the diverse community that enlivened the interior of the YMCA.

New City Heritage Wall

The public installation within the New City mixed-use development honors the history and diversity of this North Side Chicago community, while paying homage to the YMCA community center that formerly occupied the site.

The original building served as a pillar of the community for more than 25 years, uniting two diverse groups of residents–some from the affluent Lincoln Park neighborhood and others from the nearby Cabrini-Green public housing complex.

To re-imagine the great sense of vibrancy and connection, Media-Objectives created an installation made of three structures, each built from salvaged glazed bricks from the original YMCA. Each side of the installation represents a defining aspect of the former YMCA, with the front design referencing the original building’s facade and the back mosaic symbolizing the notion of “two worlds coming together,” a grounding concept behind the architecture of the original building.

This installation is a celebration of the spirit of a former YMCA and what it meant to the surrounding communities. Each of the salvaged bricks represents the struggles of two racially and economically divided neighborhoods—bonded and solidified in a timeless display that nods toward a brighter, and more inclusive future.