Book Review: Illinois Institute of Technology: The Campus Guide
Illinois Institute of Technology: The Campus Guide by Franz Schulze, published by Princeton Architectural Press, 2005. Paperback, 128 pages. (Amazon)
The Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), on the south side of Chicago, is in something of a resurgence after the completion of both Rem Koolhaas & OMA's Campus Center and Helmut Jahn's neighboring dormitory. Both buildings sit across State Street from Crown Hall, address the elevated tracks, and break from the existing Modernist assemblage, in their own unique way. These buildings partly owe to a doubling of IIT's architecture program's enrollment in the last two years. But for the people who don't know the campus beyond these two new buildings and Mies van der Rohe's recently-restored Crown Hall, this book presents three walking tours that cover all of the school's structures, from the 19th century main building to the dormitory's east of the "L" tracks. Written by Franz Schulze -- an expert on Mies as author of a critical biography of the architecture department's chair (1938-58) -- and with an introduction by Elisabeth Logman, the book also includes a brief biography of Mies, in addition to the maps, photographs, and descriptions of the walking tours. While Schulz's admiration of Mies comes across too strong in the negative descriptions of other buildings, this guide lets the readers see each building firsthand, so they can make their own judgments.
The Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), on the south side of Chicago, is in something of a resurgence after the completion of both Rem Koolhaas & OMA's Campus Center and Helmut Jahn's neighboring dormitory. Both buildings sit across State Street from Crown Hall, address the elevated tracks, and break from the existing Modernist assemblage, in their own unique way. These buildings partly owe to a doubling of IIT's architecture program's enrollment in the last two years. But for the people who don't know the campus beyond these two new buildings and Mies van der Rohe's recently-restored Crown Hall, this book presents three walking tours that cover all of the school's structures, from the 19th century main building to the dormitory's east of the "L" tracks. Written by Franz Schulze -- an expert on Mies as author of a critical biography of the architecture department's chair (1938-58) -- and with an introduction by Elisabeth Logman, the book also includes a brief biography of Mies, in addition to the maps, photographs, and descriptions of the walking tours. While Schulz's admiration of Mies comes across too strong in the negative descriptions of other buildings, this guide lets the readers see each building firsthand, so they can make their own judgments.
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