Eugene William Memorial: Public Pools and Thermal Baths

In 1919, Eugene Williams, a teenager from Chicago, went swimming in Lake Michigan with his friends in their secret spot north of 26th street where hot chemicals run-off from brewery vats mixed with effluents from a nearby icehouse. Accidentally, the young boys crossed an invisible line that dictates segregation in the water on the basis of race. Eugene was soon stoned by beachgoers and left to drown. His death instigated a week-long riot in the city resulting in devastating property damages, injuries, and deaths in the black community. To design a public pool facility in Chicago, I propose to repurpose an industrial site with its concrete silos into a memorial that sheds light onto the hostility that has been held close to water throughout history- be that for race, gender, or class.