This project for the redesign of the Chicago Riverwalk Development by Cordogan, Clark & Associates celebrates Chicago's rich architectural legacy while it looks towards the future.Contemporary design and construction techniques combine with aesthetic "placemaking" to revitalize the riverfront. Human-scaled and pedestrian-friendly areas along the riverfront make a pleasant walking, retail, and living environment. Treescaping, landscaping, fountains, and illumination enhance storefronts and the Riverwalk. Limestone and granite bollards line the pathways and complement the classical architecture of Chicago.

The specific details of the Riverwalk vary from block to block and from district to district. In the Riverwalk Gateway district, near Michigan Avenue, the architectural design is distinctively neoclassical, to correspond with the more traditional and elegant retail setting. Heading west along the river, the Riverwalk Village architecture is energized by pedestrian-friendly components and expressive commercial and residential elements. West of Wells Street, the Nightlife District's Sports Bar Pavilion blends the arcaded form of the riverwalk infrastructure with contemporary building design to create a nautical setting. The goal of this riverwalk architecture, from Michigan Avenue west to Franklin, is to create a pedestrian-friendly, expressive and vibrant area for retail and residential activity that will celebrate and enrich everyday life.