When the 606 is finished next year, complete with biking and walking trails spanning the entire stretch of green space, the new park system will include an observatory, event plaza, and numerous park upgrades. It will also feature a set of access points and bike-sharing stations. “Ultimately, you’re going to energize the space,” says engineer Stan Kaderbek. “It was an abandoned thing, and now people are going to take ownership of it.”

Jason Schwartzman (left) as “M. Jean,” Jude Law (center) as “Young Author” and Director Wes Anderson (right). The film’s depiction of the hotel’s ‘60s low point showcased a blockish, brutish, Soviet-era style -- an interior that was “Eastern Bloc-ified,” according to Stockhausen. The film was co-produced with Studio Babelsberg, in nearby Potsdam, and Stockhausen utilized their prop warehouse to source authentic period colors and designs.

Designed in 1960 for Vitsœ by Dieter Rams, the 606 Shelving System remains a storage favorite because it adapts with the times—literally. Installing the modular structure is foolproof, and customizing it rewards creativity.

The elevated park under construction.

In 2013, the hotel renovated half its rooms to evoke Danish design in the 50s. Last year, the hotel refreshed the rest of its rooms to epitomize the country’s iconic 60s aesthetic.

No space is wasted in the apartment—even behind-the-door corners. A statement bowl chair from the 60s, bought at an English flea market, makes for a stylish reading nook.

Room 606 in the hotel is preserved exactly as Jacobsen designed it. "I love the idea of preserving history," Hayon says. "But hotels are made to be used and furniture faces a major test in these spaces. It's interesting to see history by looking at the color choice and choice of elements in a space." To book a stay at the hotel and see the Jaime Hayon suite and Arne Jacobsen room, visit radissonblu.com.

Toffel Chair by 608 Design “We’ve worked with Evan Bare from 608 for a number of years. Great examples of clean design and structure.” -- Julie Nicholson “It sort of shows this ‘Canadiana’ style, but it’s more an example of someone working in a forward-thinking way that’s almost Scandinavian. There’s lots of thoughtfulness in that piece.” -- Shaun Moore

The master bathroom is a calming oasis of marble. The couple often relax here for a moment of tranquility.

Dieter Rams at the 606 is 50 exhibition.

Perpetually Devastated spent a long time looking specifically for a 1968 Airstream for the Dunhams. This model features rectangular windows. (In the later ‘60s and early ‘70s, they become oval.)

The tree canopy and sky peek through the clerestory windows of Bush House, whose form takes cues from California’s Case Study houses built during the ’40s through the ’60s.

This poster by Nelly Rudin is from the early 60s.

Bed by Pedro da Costa Felgueiras for The New Craftsmen; vintage 60s Lita lights from 1stDibs.

“The packaging can be seen as a vehicle of our values: functionality, sustainability, natural materials, aesthetics, ethics, and ecology.”—Marianne Goebl, global director of Artek

A rendering of the $91 million project, which will link up a string of Chicago’s West Side neighborhoods and, as supporters hope, become a new urban corridor. The view shows redevelopment around Churchill Park in the Bucktown neighborhood. As engineer Stan Kaderbek says, standing atop the raised path, even during construction, “gives you a whole different feeling of the community. you can see what you’re a part of.” Like many involved in the project, he believes the transformative potential of this project goes beyond beautifying. “City’s are worth saving—They’re a worthwhile investment.”

The home’s interior is a colorful homage to ’60s and ’70s California surf shacks.

Shutters that mimic the cedar siding can close off the expansive glazing, which encompasses 60% of the dwelling.

Burnt Cedar playfully interacts with the landscape—including the 60- to 90-foot Jeffrey and Ponderosa pines that populate the lakeshore.

The built-in dining room table and stools were designed with 60- and 120-degree angles.

Much of the 1950s and '60s furniture collection comes from Denmark, the Czech Republic, Poland and the Netherlands.

The Mohican tiny home has a starting price of $62,000, and it’s made by Amish craftsmen in Ohio. The 20' tiny home, which can be built in as little as eight weeks, has an unfinished exterior and a light and bright, minimalist interior that packs all the essentials into a compact footprint.

At 220 square feet, The Wheel Pad's mission is to build socially-conscious, environmentally-friendly transitional housing for people newly using wheelchairs. Their universally accessible design can connect to an existing house or be accessed via an independent ramp and they offer customization options such as a composting toilet, and solar panels. Pricing starts at $60,000 with leasing available at $3,000 a month.

The span of the 606 crossing near Milwaukee and Levitt, a section of which runs below the city’s elevated train line, will feature a billboard with rotating art. Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates headed up the overall landscaping design, which will feature plants arranged to bloom as the season develops, “sentinel plants" arranged by artist Francis Whitehead that respond to temperature and climate change over time. The landscaping “goes down to grade,” according to engineer Stan Kaderbek, meaning that the deeper soil levels results in a more integrated, deep-rooted set of plants. Unlike the High Line Park in New York City, the park won't feature plantings added atop the structure.

As part of its mission to reuse urban infrastructure, the construction crew lifted and moved a century-old, 100-ton bridge from Ashland Avenue to Western Avenue with a Self-Propelled Modular Transporter. Construction crews tried to retain as much of the 16-foot-high concrete structure as possible while adding in handrails, access ramps and an undulating surface, which will provide terrain and topography on the trail. “It wasn’t Disneyland,” says engineer Stan Kaderbek. “It’s a piece of urban infrastructure that we remade for a new use.”

The back cover of Marimekko’s catalog from the early ’60s.

A stretch of the Bloomingdale Trail facing the Milwaukee Avenue crossing. The vision for the 606 started with community groups such as the Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail; the group's push helped bring the City of Chicago, Chicago Park District, and The Trust for Public land on board. A three-day design charrette in 2011 evolved into a set of final plans in 2013, as well as an impressive public-private partnership.

Azin redesigned the staircase for better flow, tucking storage beneath and running the counter into the stair tread. The V-shaped cabling is based on a pattern from the ’60s, says Azin.

On the first site visit, Rausch was relieved to see that despite a disastrous ’60s remodel, some original details, like the stained-glass windows, had persevered.

The home’s original facade was clad in plain-looking siding, which was common in the ’50s and ’60s. The renovation finished the facade with smooth stucco, expansion joints, Hardie siding, and redwood.

After a dramatic revamp, this ’60s residence is packed with custom casework, glass bricks, and contrasting tile.

The color is repeated in the main floor’s guest bathroom, adding an unexpected twist to basic white tiles. “Everyone has black or white grout,” says Marc, “but red is different and goes with the ’60s theme of the house.”

The 606 Universal Shelving System, designed in 1960 for Vitsœ by Dieter Rams.

Designed by Alvar Aalto in 1933, the classic Artek Stool 60 is considered the definition of functionalist furniture design. The Hella Jongerius Edition of the stool recasts Aalto’s classic design with colorful seats and legs, including this blue seat with charcoal legs. The result is a thoughtful re-imagination that retains Aalto’s classic, functional design.

Designed by Alvar Aalto in 1933, the classic Artek Stool 60 is considered the definition of functionalist furniture design. The Hella Jongerius Edition of the stool recasts Aalto’s classic design with colorful seats and legs in different wood finishes, ranging from metallic silver to a rich walnut color.