In 1938 the Armour Institute of Technology, a modest technical training school on Chicago’s near south side, engaged German- born architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886- 1969) as the director of the Department of Architecture. The school strove to transform its traditional architecture program into one of international stature and innovation; Mies was a logical choice for achieving this goal. He had achieved international recognition at the forefront of modern architecture and established a reputation in the field of architectural education while serving as director of the Bauhaus school of design in Germany from 1930 through 1933.
Mies van der Rohe’s S.R. Crown Hall is considered one of the most architecturally significant buildings of the Modernist movement. Serving as a benchmark for architects and designers, Crown Hall is, “one of the world’s most influential, inspiring, and astonishing structures” (Time Magazine). This National Historic Landmark has attracted thousands of tourists from around the world to Illinois Institute of Technology’s campus (the campus Mies designed).
Crown Hall’s revolutionary column-free space represents a design milestone for Mies: the creation of unobstructed universal interior space which can be adapted for different uses and needs over time. The one-story building has a raised basement and the South Porch appears to float like a pedestal at the top of the stairs to the building’s entrance (like a classical Greek temple).
Mies originally designed Crown Hall for the architecture and design programs and the College of Architecture still resides there. During the academic year, the building is alive with students, exhibitions, celebrations, and performances—a true testament to the lasting effect of Mies’ design. Source: miessociety.org
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe with a model of Crown Hall (photographer: Arthur Siegel), courtesy Chicago History Museum
Design is fine. History is mine. 