Minerals & Metals Research Building

Built 1943

Chicago, Illinois, USA

The Minerals & Metals Research Building was the first building on Illinois Institute of Technology’s campus designed and built by Mies van der Rohe. The building exploits the advantages of steel. Well suited to the needs of the day, steel seemed appropriate for a technological school. Mies constructed the entire frame of this building (vertical and horizontal members) of wide flange beams and columns infilled with glass and brick. Today, this building is used in part by the College of Architecture’s model shop.