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S.R. Crown Hall is considered one of Mies van der Rohe’s greatest masterpieces. Widely regarded as one of the most architecturally significant buildings of the 20th Century, Crown Hall was completed in 1956. Upon its opening, Mies van der Rohe declared it "the clearest structure we have done, the best to express our philosophy,” Crown Hall is a straightforward expression of construction and materiality, which allows the structure to transcend into art. Its refinement and innovation place it among the most distinguished buildings of its age and define its importance in the history of architecture. Designed to house Illinois Institute of Technology's departments of architecture, planning, and design, the building's dramatic, structurally-expressive form resulted from the need to create an open interior space that could be flexibly adapted for changing needs and uses.
The two storeyed building is in a pure rectangular form, 220' by 120' by 24 feet high. The building is slightly raised on a platform with a grand flight of stairs at the entrance. Basement level is used for workshops, offices, toilet rooms etc. The roof is suspended from the underside of four steel plate girders which in turn are carried by eight exterior steel columns. These columns are spaced 60 feet apart with the roof cantilevered 20 feet at each end. It is characterized by clearly articulated exposed steel frame construction .The steel frame is composed of large sheets of glass of varying qualities of transparency, resulting in a light and delicate steel and glass façade. While the lower level consists of compartmentalized rooms, the high upper floor level, occupying almost 50% of the total area of the building, is dedicated to a single glass-enclosed architecture studio space. Mies called it a "universal space", intended to be entirely flexible in use. Natural ventilation is provided by louvers at floor level. The front and back of Crown Hall are identical.
1n I975, the building underwent a major renovation which replaced all the original glass and it was repainted. The next thirty years saw little real change, and virtually no maintenance. The result was an extensive deterioration to the glazing system and a need for a major renovation. The restoration was completed in the late summer of 2005. The renovated Crown Hall is a dazzling aesthetic object. Its fresh coat of heavy-duty industrial paint (a brand called Tnemec, cement spelled backward) makes it stand out like a man in a black tuxedo against the blue August sky. The building's new sheathing -- big upper-level windows and beneath them smaller pairs of translucent windows with a sandblasted inner layer correctly restores Crown's transparency. Inside are more pleasant surprises, from the buffed black terrazzo floor to the spray-painted white ceiling tiles. Laminated glass is used in windows. Interior wood partitions and storage lockers are refinished and resurfaced, and additional electrical and ethernet wiring are added to the main floor.
Awards
•Landmarks Preservation Council Of Illinois – Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Project of the Year, 2006
•AIA Chicago – Distinguished Building Award – Certificate of Merit, 2006
•City of Chicago Commission on Landmarks -Preservation Excellence Award 2005
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