Mies Building Spotlight
Technology Park North (Tech North)
University Archives and Special Collections, Paul V. Galvin Library, Illinois Institute of Technology
Technology Park Buildings, Historically Known as The Institute of Gas Technology Complex
At the time S. R. Crown Hall (Crown Hall) opened in 1956, 34th Street crossed the campus. Thus, the entrance to Crown Hall was placed on its south façade, facing the street. Further south was the Institute of Gas Technology Complex. Although the street has been covered over with lawns and pathways, the entrance remains as designed by Mies. (Schulze p. 52)
The Institute of Gas Technology was established in 1941. Housed in five buildings located in the southern portion of the campus and west of State Street, Mies designed two of these buildings, Tech North (3410 S. State Street) and Tech South (3440 S. State Street) in 1950 and 1955 respectively. The building in between these two—Tech Central designed by Schmidt, Garden and Erickson in 1965—was to provide additional space and utilized the same architectural vocabulary as Mies’ buildings. The connecting structures, known as the Power plant (1964) and the Crossover (1977), served as mechanical support and became the interstitial spaces connecting all of these buildings at ground level.
Tech North and Tech Central are being prepared to provide additional space in the form of classrooms, faculty offices, and support for the College of Architecture. Tech South is now being considered for best uses. Interestingly, Tech South’s original Mies design contained a nuclear reactor hall. This tall vertical space was meticulously designed with a solid, low-vibration floor and an overhead crane—a valuable space for physical science instruments and experiments. The reactor was privately owned for industrial research and, as a result, over 700 papers were published on the operation and optimization of nuclear reactors according to Emeritus Professor of Physics Daniel M. Kaplan.
Technology Park Central (Tech Central)
University Archives and Special Collections, Paul V. Galvin Library, Illinois Institute of Technology
Technology Park South (Tech South)
University Archives and Special Collections, Paul V. Galvin Library, Illinois Institute of Technology
The Interprofessional Projects (IPRO) Program class, Mindful Modern Buildings, taught by Cynthia Vranas Olsen, director of the Mies Society, has been exploring the Institute of Gas Technology Buildings and their interstitial spaces—between Michael Paul Galvin Tower and south entrance of Crown Hall. The premise is such that architectural spaces set within this urban campus can be used to improve academic, research, and social interactions while impacting campus viability and visibility. The 50-student body makeup includes disciplines in architecture; architectural engineering; civil, mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering; psychology; sociology; global studies; food science; and computer sciences underline Illinois Tech President Raj Echambadi’s goal to allow its university community to benefit from such spaces on campus while providing a beacon of light for the surrounding neighborhoods of Bronzeville, City of Chicago, and beyond. The students will continue to work with facilities and the Mies Society Board of Directors to develop concepts for these buildings and spaces.
A Mies Society-led fundraising project to benefit these buildings—in particular, Tech North, at 3410 S. State—is now underway. The first phase of restoration would include façade work. Repair of the limestone steps and its associated foundation work, brick repairs flanking the steps, the possible relocation of the accessible ramp to the west side of the building allowing for the original configuration of the front porch and counter balanced entry doors, and lobby restoration of the terrazzo floor are all being considered.
Schultz, Franz, The Campus Guide, Illinois Institute of Technology, An Architectural Tour by Franz Schulz, Foreword by Lew Collens. Princeton Architectural Press, New York, 2005.
Interprofessional Projects (IPRO) Program students from Mindful Modern Buildings, Fall 2023