The New Spertus
In the News
New Spertus a crowning jewel for Michigan Ave.
OPENS NOV. 30 | Glass Facade resembles irregularly cut gem
Chicago Sun-Times
November 21, 2007
By Kevin Nance
Michigan Avenue has a fresh jewel in its crown: the new Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies, whose faceted glass facade is in sharp contrast to the more traditional architecture surrounding it on Chicago's most famous streetwall.
The 10-story, 150,000-square-foot facility at 610 S. Michigan, which opens to the public Nov. 30, boasts several innovative interior features, including skylights and transparent walls that allow natural light into most of the building.
The new $55 million structure, just north of Spertus' former home on one of the famous street's last open spaces, also includes the Spertus Museum galleries, a great hall, a 400-seat theater, the Asher Library, high-tech classrooms, a gift shop and a kosher cafe operated by Wolfgang Puck. An interactive children's center and an educational resource center for teachers and parents will open next spring.
"We needed a dynamic, welcoming place," Spertus president Howard A. Sulkin said during a building tour Tuesday. "We got a contemporary, light-filled design that respects our historic setting."
The building's most striking feature is its 161-foot-tall, 80-foot-wide facade or "skirt," which juts out as much as 4 feet over Michigan Avenue at multiple angles and resembles the surface of an irregularly cut gemstone.
Designed by the Chicago architecture firm Krueck + Sexton, the sculptural facade is composed of 726 individual pieces of glass of 556 different shapes, many of them parallelograms. A typical size of the pieces is 4-feet-4-inches by 7 feet, although some are much larger. One section on the third-floor level bulges into a natural canopy above the entrance. The glass is laminated inside and out to reduce solar glare and improve energy efficiency.
The facade looks directly onto Grant Park, with Buckingham Fountain, the Art Institute of Chicago and other downtown landmarks in clear view. The 10th floor also offers one of Michigan Avenue's only publicly accessible outdoor terraces overlooking the lakefront.
According to lead designer Mark Sexton, the facade has no specific religious significance, but Sulkin still finds a metaphor in its transparency.
"Lifelong learning is central to the Jewish experience, and Spertus welcomes all who are eager to learn, whatever their background. The glass facade expertly communicates this by providing a physical invitation to come inside."
-----------
Copyright © 2007, Chicago Sun-Times
return to top