Michael Paul Galvin Tower - Mies van der Rohe Society

Location

Chicago, Illinois – United States of America

Job Type

Real-life project, renovation of the Michael Paul Galvin Tower Foyer for the Mies van der Rohe Society

Pre-design condition

Existing Foyer of a administrative 1963-1964 building located in Chicago, Illinois – US

Client Requirements

Propose a ‘transformation’ to the Michael Paul Galvin Tower Foyer to accommodate transitory Mies van der Rohe Society exhibitions
Develop a transition between the building’s foyer and the outside plaza
Create a connection between the plaza, the ground floor area, and the auditorium
Discover and apply a way to connect a Mies van der Rohe architecture-inspired building with a Louis Kahn-inspired transformation/renovation to this building

The Michael Paul Galvin Tower lobby project creates a nostalgic connection between opposites: the past and the present, shadows and natural light, the open plan and the room, Mies van der Rohe and Louis Kahn.

To respond to the challenge of merging opposites, working on the ceilings and leaving the floor clear was the chosen option. This would provide the art exhibitions held there full space to be organized according to their specific situations.

Vaults in the ceiling were created and found to be the best response to the situation. They are a resilient form inspired by Louis Kahn’s Kimbell Art Museum project, which listens to the existing premises and respects the Mies van der Rohe inspired open-plan architecture of the Michael Paul Galvin Tower.

Light is the theme of this project. The natural light enters through the floor-to-ceiling openings surrounding the building and gives a golden gleam to the smooth terrazzo flooring and the light and clear palette of the plaster ceiling.

Each vault between the large square columns was extended to the exterior of the lobby until the building boundary creating, for those seeing from the outside, a cycloid-vaulted portico welcoming those coming from the 35th Bronzeville IIt subway station from one side and those coming from the pedestrian walkway on the other side.

Another important feature of this project is the Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Community Plaza created on the west side of the building. The purpose of the plaza is to highlight the art exhibitions and also to provide a space to bring the neighborhood together, and to connect the community and the university.