Crown Hall Restoration Previewed in Architectural Record
The March 2005 issue of Architectural Record previewed the upcoming interior and exterior renovation of Mies van der Rohe’s Crown Hall at Illinois Institute of Technology. The architectural masterpiece has both Chicago and National Historic Landmark status.
The renovation will begin with the May 17, 2005 ceremonial shattering of glass. The three-month project will consist of a curtain wall restoration and renovation. This includes removal of existing glazing and steel stops, sandblast removal of all lead-based paint from interior and exterior steel, repairs to corroding steel, refurbishment and reactivation of louvers, refurbishment of select steel stops with new replacement stops as required, and recoating (painting) of steel, stops, and louvers.
The project will also involve disassembling and retrofitting with electromagnetic release hardware and refurbishing of original Ellison stainless steel doors on the north and south façades. Work will comply with current building codes and will replicate the original appearance of Crown Hall.
Chicago-based Krueck & Sexton Architects has already restored interior oak panels and revamped information technology systems.
Built between 1950 and 1956, Crown Hall exemplifies Mies van der Rohe’s simple, clear span designs: The roof is suspended from the underside of four steel-plate girders, which are carried by eight exterior steel columns.
Founded in 1890, IIT is a Ph.D.-granting technological university awarding degrees in the sciences, mathematics and engineering, as well as architecture, psychology, design, business and law. IIT’s interprofessional, technology-focused curriculum prepares the university’s 6,200 students for leadership roles in an increasingly complex and culturally diverse global workplace.
