The University of Illinois at Chicago Circle was created between 1963 and 1968 as an “instant campus” in response to major growth in college enrollment following WWII. Its Brutalist design by Walter Netsch and SOM became a nationally recognized model for other campuses across the country, even as it displaced thousands of neighborhood residents and sparked local grassroots protests through its program of urban renewal. This tour will start and conclude at the famed School of Architecture and include visits to the buildings and spaces at UIC that have delighted and frustrated users since the day they opened.
This tour is organized by Docomomo US/Chicago and will be led by Judith K. De Jong, an architect, urban designer, and Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Illinois Chicago whose work investigates the reciprocating relationships between architecture and the city.
Advance registration required
Free for Docomomo US members/$20 non-members (Join or renew here)
This tour is part of Docomomo US Tour Day 2023.
Urban Renewal, Brutalism, and Field Theory
Architecture and Design Studios
845 West Harrison Street
Chicago, IL
Chicago, IL
Elevated walkways at UIC campus; 1966.
Credit:
Courtesy Chicago History Museum
