MIES MEMORIAL LIBRARY
Framing the void
The building is located in Chicado, Illinois, USA. The urban environment is composed of buildings that maintain a similar height, corresponding to the IIT Campus, in which nearby buildings such as Siegel Hall, Crown Hall and the Paul V. Galvin Bookstore stand out. It is also close to Rowe Village and public transportation.
Lot 2 is taken as an option to be developed in order to give continuity to the project initiated by the architect Mies Van Der Rohe, following the grid, taking into account the history and situation of the surroundings of the Campus. The project is proposed as a reflection of Mies’ work today.
It is modeled as a transparent work in its upper part, which allows to see what is around it and is developed subway, using contemporary elements and a multifunctional central space.
The project is located in the space taking as a reference the Armour College of Engineering, preserving a symmetry towards both sides of W 33rd Street.
At first glance, an almost non-existent façade is observed, incorporating water mirrors, reflecting the context and its greenery, and a steel structure rises up, which, naked, frames the visual towards Crown Hall and Siegel Hall and leaving as a footprint the entrances. In the lower part, the program spaces are developed, destined to a library that maintains a rationalist spirit.
The entrances to the library are located at three points that cross the water mirror located at ground level, these are two stairways on the sides and a central entrance consisting of an elevator.
The architectural program is worked subway, using the same footprint at ground level to locate the different spaces and also following a modular and symmetrical structure.
- Urban situation
- Building implantation
- Architectural program
- Administration
These offices will occupy one side of the floor, hidden from the main space and distributed in a linear fashion along a corridor from one end of the floor to the other.
- Open library with reading / study stations
Ample space in which study tables are located, which include the possibility of projecting holograms to support students’ learning.
- Auditorium
The use of the Mutasub seating system in the central area of the library provides versatility in the use of the auditorium and also allows the same space to be used for other activities by storing groups of seats under the floor.
- Copy room under stairs
This service area is located between a wall and tempered glass, providing greater independence from the study areas
- Private library / Complete Mies Collection
Mobile shelving allows for space-saving storage of the volumes of the private collection. They also have individual research stations to facilitate the study of users
- Use variations of the space
- Folding seats detail auditorium: The use of the Mutasub seating system in the central area of the library provides versatility in the use of the auditorium and also allows the same space to be used for other activities by storing groups of seats under the floor.
- Basement plan
- Transversal section
- Longitudinal section
