Crown Hall, Illinois Institute of Technology : Chicago, IL

Patrick Lee Lucas

Crown Hall, Illinois Institute of Technology : Chicago, IL

Olivia Hooker

Principles and Elements

Principles and elements are shown in every aspect of this building. On the outside, the use of LINES creates a sense of RHYTHM through REPITION. There is also an EMPHASIS on the doors due to the rise of the ceiling to separate the structure of the door from the rest of the walls. The SHAPEA of the building also stays consistent because it is rectangular and doesn’t have any irregular shapes throughout the exterior.

Front of the Crown Hall building during the daytime. — “Crown Hall, Illinois Institute of Technology, State Street and 34th Street, Douglas, Chicago, IL” by Warren Lemay is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Connections

The metal frame is what connects the big glass windows to each other. The windows would have no way of standing if it wasn’t for the metal frame. These windows also serve as a connection of the exterior with the interior of the building. The people on either side are able to see the people on the other side. This serves as a bigger connection with the building and nature itself by having the trees all around the building.

The entrance to the Crown Hall building taken from a grass area semi-diagonally with trees in front of the building — “Crown Hall, Illinois Institute of Technology, State Street and 34th Street, Douglas, Chicago, IL” by Warren Lemay is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Materials

Steel beams serve as the main support for the outside structure with glass around every exterior wall; wood is used inside for the walls. The steps on the outside are made of concrete as well as the ground around the building. There is a metal handrail around the stairs. They also have tile floors on the inside made of terrazzo.

A diagonal, close up view of the entrance of the Crown Hall building during the daytime. — “Crown Hall, Illinois Institute of Technology, State Street and 34th Street, Douglas, Chicago, IL” by Warren Lemay is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Light and Color

Abundant light streams into this space due to the big glass windows. During the day the main source of light comes from the big windows compared to nighttime when the use of artificial light is the main source. In terms of color, there is a neutral color palette for the interior with the use of browns, grays and whites. This is a college for architecture which doesn’t need to utilize color as much in their spaces.

Part of the interior space of the main area showing one side of the large room with desks and wood panels shown — “Center Core, Crown Hall, Illinois Institute of Technology, State Street and 34th Street, Douglas, Chicago, IL” by Warren Lemay is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Experience

The interior of the building has a very open studio space without the use of walls to divide the space up. There are wooden panels with works of art on them as a way to display. This allows for the experience of an open studio workspace that is also partly secluded. These panels separate the studio space from the moving areas to not allow the students to get distracted. The showing area is separated from the workstations of the students to allow for a level of professionalness with the neatness of the showing.

The inside of the main core area showing chairs and artwork shown on wood panels in a dark light — “S. R. Crown Hall, Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT)” by UIC Library Digital Collections is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Theories

There are a lot of theories shown in this space. First is the theory of minimalism that is shown in the lack of decorations and things filling the space. Secondly, there is the theory of an open floor plan. This building doesn’t have a lot of rooms, but it instead has a very open space that can be transformed into anything it needs to be. Along with that is the theory of flexibility which is shown through the space’s ability to be changed into anything from a workspace to a lecture area and anything in between.

Empty room of the main room inside Crown Hall with rows of foldable chairs on the left side — “Center Core, Crown Hall, Illinois Institute of Technology, State Street and 34th Street, Douglas, Chicago, IL” by Warren Lemay is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Technology

This image shows how the technology used to be when this building was first built. While it doesn’t show a direct comparison with the current technology, we know that these clocks aren’t typically used anymore. It shows that the technology is continually evolving from what it used to be to where it is now. This also serves as a reminder that the technology we have now is not what will be around in the future.

Old control time clock on a gray brick wall showing time around 3:55. — “IBM Simplex Time Control Clock, Crown Hall, Illinois Institute of Technology, State Street and 34th Street, Douglas, Chicago, IL” by Warren Lemay is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Finishes

There aren’t a lot of finishes in the building, but a great example is the floor. It is a dark tile flooring sealed off with a type of epoxy to get that glossy look. It is very minimalist, but it protects the floor and brings a level of aesthetic to the design. The wooden panels that are used as makeshift walls are also an example of a finish because that exact color of wood was chosen and it contrasts the darkness of the tile flooring.

Inside open space of Crown Hall with wooden panels in a bright light and no decorations. — “Center Core, Crown Hall, Illinois Institute of Technology, State Street and 34th Street, Douglas, Chicago, IL” by Warren Lemay is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Furnishings

The space has desks and chairs that are meant to stay in the space behind the wood panels. These desks are the main workspace for the students which are stationary and don’t move a lot. There are also rows of foldable chairs that can be placed in any arrangement. This allows for the space to transform into whatever the people need it to be. Other than that, there is not a lot of furnishing in this space because of the amount of movement in the building.

Interior view of Crown Hall angled at wood panels and foldable chairs as well view of the student's work stations — “Center Core, Crown Hall, Illinois Institute of Technology, State Street and 34th Street, Douglas, Chicago, IL” by Warren Lemay is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Telling stories

Crown Hall is in the background while the main focus is on the nature outside in this picture. This shows that while the building is the most important part normally, in this it is showing the outside as a way for the students to step away. They are able to go into the building and work but have a nice area to take a break and sit outside with nature. This tells a story of balance between school and leisure. The students have to juggle the time they have with completing work and giving themselves enough time to have time for themselves.

View of the exterior of Crown Hall with the main focus on the trees and grass as well as the lawn chairs in the grass — “Crown Hall, Illinois Institute of Technology, State Street and 34th Street, Douglas, Chicago, IL” by Warren Lemay is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Resources

These links are where the pictures, license and information about the building were found.

Deed – Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic – Creative Commons

Crown Hall, Illinois Institute of Technology : Chicago, IL | Openverse

✅ Crown Hall – Data, Photos & Plans – WikiArquitectura

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License