Examining the University of Chicago and its history through the lens of architecture, this photographic guide describes the evolution of the University’s campus since its founding in 1890.
University president William Rainey Harper’s decision to build a set of Gothic quadrangles provided a link to European precursors as well as an environment for the creation of a new model for higher education in the United States. Since then, the University has commissioned forward-thinking architects to design buildings that expand—or explode—the traditional vocabulary while redefining the contemporary campus.
Building Ideas: An Architectural Guide to the University of Chicago provides a stunning visual depiction of the built environment while showcasing architects such as Henry Ives Cobb, Holabird & Root, Eero Saarinen, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Walter Netsch, Ricardo Legoreta, Rafael Viñoly, César Pelli, Helmut Jahn and Tod Williams and Billie Tsien.