Historic
Netsch
Campus
at UIC
Table of Contents
Tour Map
3
Introducing the Historic Netsch Campus at UIC 4
Campus Beginnings
4
Site Selection
4
“Instant Campus”
5
Campus Master Plan
5
Circle Forum
6
Stone Dropped in a Pond of Water
6
Granite, Concrete and Brick
6
Harrison and Halsted
7
Historic Artifacts
7
Harrison-Halsted Neighborhood
7
Neighborhood Protest
8
Architecture and Art
8
Field Theory
8
Walkway Remnant
9
Site of Turner Gate
9
Jonathan Baldwin Turner
9
Second-Story Walkways
9
Fate of the Walkways
10
Henry and Jefferson Halls
10
Block I Window Design
11
Connecting Walkways
11
University Hall
11
“Big Shoulders” Design
11
Rebecca Port Faculty-Student Center
12
Behavioral Sciences Building
12
Stevenson Hall
12
Lincoln, Douglas, and Grant Halls
13
Green Architecture at UIC
13
Richard J. Daley Library
13
Science and Engineering Offices
14
Taft, Burnham, and Addams Halls
14
Science and Engineering Laboratories
15
Science and Engineering South
15
Blue Island Corridor
15
Netsch-designed Fence
16
Chicago Circle Memorial Grove
16
Addenda
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Tour Map
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Campus Beginnings
TAYLOR
STREET
Circle Forum
Harrison and Halsted
Architecture and Art
Site of Turner Gate
Second-Story Walkways
Henry and Jefferson Halls
University Hall
Behavioral Sciences Building
Stevenson Hall
Lincoln, Douglas, & Grant Halls
Richard J. Daley Library
Science & Engineering Offices
Taft, Burnham, & Addams Halls
Science & Engineering Laboratories
Science & Engineering South
Blue Island Corridor
Chicago Circle Memorial Grove
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Introducing the Historic Netsch Campus at UIC
Welcome to the historic Netsch campus at UIC. This virtual walking
tour introduces the modernist architecture found on the East Side of
the University of Illinois at Chicago. Internationally acclaimed architect Walter
Netsch at the Chicago firm of Skidmore,
Owings, and Merrill designed the campus between 1963 and 1968.
In 1960, Chicago was one of only three
major American cities that lacked a four-year publicly supported university. Thanks to the vision and determination of
Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley, that changed just five years
later, when the University of Illinois opened this campus to
educate the children of working families right here in the city
of Chicago. Located adjacent to a major city expressway interchange popularly known as “the Circle,” the new campus
was named the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle. Circle
welcomed its first students in February 1965.
Though much has changed in the nearly fifty years
since Walter Netsch was engaged as principal architect on the project, his remarkable vision for the campus is still evident in buildings and spaces all over the East
Side of UIC. Images from then and now accompany our story.
Campus Beginnings
The story of the Chicago campus of the University of Illinois begins on Navy
Pier at the end of World War II. With the GI Bill offering educational opportunities to large numbers of returning veterans, the university recognized the
need for educating students in Chicago as well as Urbana-Champaign.
In 1946 a two-year undergraduate program opened on Chicago’s Navy Pier.
Students could spend two years taking classes at the Pier, but to complete their
degrees they had to transfer downstate. Because many parents could not afford to
send their children away to school, they lobbied for a university right here in the city.
Site Selection
Planning for a Chicago campus began in the mid 1950s, when a number
of different sites, suburban and urban, were considered. The university chose internationally acclaimed Sites under considerationarchitect
Walter Netsch at the Chicago firm of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill to
create schemes for four possible locations: Miller Meadows in North
Riverside, Garfield Park, Northerly Island, and the rail yards south of the
Loop. Miller Meadows was the university’s first choice, while Chicago
Mayor Richard J. Daley favored a location in the city.
In 1960 a bond issue passed earmarking $50 million for the construction
of the Chicago campus. When the other Chicago sites were not available, Mayor Daley and university trustees
announced the selection of our current location, which consisted at the time of 105 acres stretching south
and west from the Harrison and Halsted intersection, just a mile to the west of Chicago’s Loop.
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“Instant Campus”
The University of Illinois at Chicago Circle was one of several “instant
campuses” built in response to major growth in college enrollment following World War II. New York and California had even more ambitious
schemes and created multiple campuses around the same time.
Though just a single campus, UICC received more publicity than any of the
others, in large part because of its architectural design, which was considered
revolutionary at the time. The style, known as Brutalism, took its name from Campus constructionthe French béton brut, meaning raw concrete. Internationally in vogue from the 1950s
to the 1970s, Brutalist architecture avoided polish and elegance. Practicality, economy,
and user-friendliness were the principal
aims of the stark, rectilinear style. Readily accessible materials
such as concrete, brick,
and stone were
preferred.
As soon as the first
phase of construction was
completed, the
Netsch design received an
award from the local
American Institute of Architects chapter and a
total design award from the National Society of Interior Designers. Architectural Forum
magazine covered the developing campus extensively from 1964 through 1970.
Campus Master Plan
Working under extreme time and budget constraints, architect Walter Netsch developed a campus design concept based upon the urban setting, the size of the site,
and a projected student population of 20,000, which increased to 32,000 in just a
few years. The goal was a campus that could work at its initial size while growing
quickly to its projected size. In its first five years, the University of Illinois at Chicago
Circle was the fastest growing campus in the country, increasing from 5,000 to
17,500 students.To this day, it has not reached 32,000 students.
To enable large numbers of students to navigate the new campus efficiently, Netsch
elevated much of the movement and activity to the second story level. The unique
“pedestrian expressway system” served as a
structuring element for the visual and functional organization of the campus while introducing an interplay of levels. At its center,
the raised walkway system converged on
an immense second floor expanse of granite and concrete which connected to major
buildings to the east and to the west.
At the northern and southern entrances to campus, the walkways extended across major streets, allowing pedestrians to avoid traffic and
enter the campus safely.
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Circle Forum
At the heart of the University of Illinois Chicago Circle stood
a two-story classical amphitheater known as Circle Forum. This was the center of campus life, home to concerts,
performances, student protests. Those traveling from one
building to another passed through the area. A level higher,
the roofs of the surrounding buildings formed a vast plaza
called the Great Court, punctuated by seating areas known
as exedras. Walkways at the second floor level tied this central structure to all the surrounding campus buildings.
Only photographs remain to convey the remarkable
architecture that once stood here. Circle Forum, the
Great Court, and the walkways were all demolished
in the mid 1990s after gradually falling into disuse
and disrepair. Lack of climate control and difficulty of
maintenance, especially in winter, were factors contributing to the university’s decision to abandon those
elements of the Netsch design.
Chicago architect Daniel P. Coffey was responsible for
the redesign of the area as it appears today.
Stone Dropped in a Pond of Water
Walter Netsch’s unique campus design was based on the metaphor of a
stone dropped in a pond of water. Buildings were grouped by function with
the most important – the lecture centers – forming a close circle at the center. Classroom building clusters, anchored by the library to the west and the
student union to the east, formed the next ring. Offices and laboratories were
further removed from the center, and on the outermost ring to the south were
the athletic fields. With the large buildings situated towards the outside, the
central area was buffered acoustically
from the noise of the nearby expressway.
Inspired by classical motifs such as the agora, the marketplace in ancient Greece, the Forum and the lecture centers represented the center
of learning, the place where students and their teachers gathered to
discuss ideas. From there, learning extended outwards in all directions.
“What happens between classes came to be regarded as being as important as what happens in classes,” said Netsch. His campus design
facilitated “the meeting-in-the-corridor on a grand scale.”
Granite, Concrete and Brick
Netsch selected three sturdy materials – granite, concrete, and brick – which are repeated in structures
throughout the campus. Solid granite from Minnesota
quarries was chosen for its permanency and its ability
to withstand the annual removal of snow and ice. Brick
and concrete, both readily available at the time, could
resist dirt or disfigurement. Netsch developed special
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colors and sizes of brick as well as six different finishes
for concrete. He utilized a relatively low strength reinforced concrete as a cost saving measure.
The lecture centers illustrate Netsch’s use of granite
and concrete. Visible below the roofline is a layer of
granite a foot thick that forms the base of the building
roofs. It is supported by “butterfly columns”, so named
by the architect for the shape of the column capitals,
which increase the area the columns are able to support. Precast concrete columns supported all the granite
walkways linking the Netsch buildings. Those at ground
level in the early years found themselves walking in what
Netsch referred to as “a forest of columns.” Netsch designed columns of differing
height and girth, depending on the load they were to carry.
Harrison and Halsted
The location of the new undergraduate campus was
important to the city and the University of Illinois. The
105-acre plot of land on the city’s Near West Side was
easily accessible by public transportation, including buses,
trains, and a new expressway system. Its proximity to the
circular interchange of three major expressways led to the
original campus name: the University of Illinois at Chicago
Circle.
Historic Artifacts
Set into the concrete between the flags at Harrison and Halsted is a modest granite plaque
from the ground-breaking ceremony held October 17, 1963. It reads: “Just as universities
make great cities, a great city makes a great university.” –
Honorable Richard J. Daley, Mayor of Chicago.
he chain-linked granite bollards in this location, featuring
Walter Netsch’s “tiger tooth” design, lined the exterior walkways and stairwells of the Chicago Circle campus. Today they
serve as a memory of our campus architect and the unique
physical environment he created.
Harrison-Halsted Neighborhood
Before 1960, the concentration of Greek immigrants living and working
along Halsted north of Taylor led Chicagoans to refer to it as the Greek Delta. The neighborhood stretching west along Taylor was Little Italy. In addition to these two large groups, the area was also home to Mexicans, Puerto
Ricans, and African Americans. Private homes, stores, cafés, and factories
were all mixed in together here. Citizens saw an opportunity to improve the
neighborhood and formed the Near West Side Planning Board, which succeeded in obtaining federal urban renewal money. But larger forces were at
play, and to the dismay of Planning Board members, the money was ultimately used to clear the area for the new university.
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Neighborhood Protest
When the University of Illinois announced the selection of the
Harrison-Halsted site, resident Florence Scala led much of the
neighborhood in protesting the decision. Embodying the civic
conscience of Chicago’s Little Italy, Florence Scala had developed
her sense of social justice at nearby Hull-House, where she participated in classes and activities throughout her youth. As leader of
the Harrison-Halsted Community Group, she fought the city every
step of the way. Suits were eventually filed in both federal and state
courts to prevent the project from going forward.
In May 1963, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to
hear the case, clearing the way for construction
of the new university. Large sections of the Harrison-Halsted neighborhood were demolished to
make room for the campus, displacing significant
numbers of people and businesses. In a small but important victory,
Florence Scala and her followers succeeded in persuading university
trustees to preserve the Hull-House and Residents’ Dining Hall, located
at 800 South Halsted, as a memorial to Jane Addams.
Architecture and Art
The Architecture and Art building was built in 1967 during the second
phase of campus construction. This was the Netsch’s first A and A footprintsattempt at Field Theory, his signature contribution to architecture.
Only 40% of the building was completed; the classroom wings were never
added.
A large block of granite on the south side bears the name Architecture and Art.
Field Theory
Field Theory consisted of rotating simple squares into complex
geometric elements radiating outward from central cores. In
seeking to move beyond “the boredom of the box,” Netsch created imaginative but organically integrated spaces. The double
helix served as the inspiration for the Architecture and Art building interior, translating to a helical path of open spaces where
faculty and students could work side by side in a collaborative
manner.
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Walkway Remnant
A solitary remnant of the second-story walkway system, an important element of the original campus design, has been maintained at the entrance
to the Covered walkwayArchitecture and Art building. The sign bearing
the building name now covers it completely.
Measuring 200 feet in length, this particular walkway was unique in that it
was constructed of steel, not granite, and it was the only screened walkway on campus. The box truss design made it possible to lower the structure into place over the brick-enclosed Commonwealth Edison property just
Com Ed substation west of Architecture and Art.
Behind the south wall of the enclosure, the Com Ed building still stands,
although the electrical substation Walkway remnantis no longer in use.
Original Netsch-designed gates provide access to the interior.
Site of Turner Gate
A tall concrete pillar bearing the name UIC, once attached to the second-story walkway in this location,
marks the site of Turner Gate. When the Circle campus opened in 1965, an eight-foot-high brick wall,
punctuated by eight iron gates, surrounded most of
the area bounded by Harrison, Halsted, Taylor, and
Morgan. Turner Gate was the entry point for those
reaching campus via the “L.”
Although outer walls and gates are traditional elements of
university design, the surrounding community expressed dismay to find the new University of Illinois campus walled off from the city it was built to serve.
Before long the gates fell Campus wallinto disuse, the walls began to come down, and university buildings sprang up beyond the original boundaries. When the gate in this location disappeared, so did the name. Only remnants of the original walls remain.
Jonathan Baldwin Turner
Turner Gate was named for Jonathan Baldwin Turner, whose appeal in 1850 for a “state university for the
industrial classes” led to the Land Grant Act of 1862 and the formation of the University of Illinois in the years
that followed. UIC is an urban descendant of the land grant tradition.
Second-Story Walkways
When the Circle Campus opened in 1965, a broad second-story
walkway ran from the north side of Harrison Street all the way to
Lecture Center A, where it joined the Great Court above Circle
Forum. Beyond the Forum, it continued south to Science and
Engineering South. This was the north-south spine of the campus.
For the first thirty years of our history, students moved around
the campus via an extensive system of elevated “pedestrian expressways” linking all
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the buildings. This was Netsch’s original idea to avoid creating an
Walkwaysuninterrupted expanse of concrete in the tightly bounded
area of the campus. Second-story walkwaysConcrete and slabs of
granite, ten by twenty feet and a foot thick, were used in their construction. Down the center of large sections of the walkways Netsch
left an opening through which shrubs and trees could grow
up, softening the overall effect. Besides transporting people
above, the walkways sheltered pedestrians below among “urban trees,” as Netsch
referred to the columns supporting them. Today only photographs of the north-south
walkways remain; a wide sidewalk traces the route.
Fate of the Walkways
Over a six-year period ending in 1999 the walkways
were removed to create a greener, more welcoming
campus environment. Circle Forum and the Great Court
were dismantled at the same time. This was a highly
controversial project which resulted in the elimination
of significant elements of the Netsch design.
As with Circle Forum and the Great Court, maintenance
of the walkways was difficult, especially in winter, when
snow had to be removed from exposed surfaces and the stairways leading up to them. Netsch had designed the steps with
heating Demolitionelements to melt the snow, but the transformers failed and were never replaced. Salt, in conjunction with the
annual freeze and thaw cycles, gradually caused the concrete stairways to crack and
deteriorate, seriously limiting access and use.
Granite damaged during demolition was donated to the city of
Chicago, which used it to build an artificial reef at 57th Street and
Lake Shore Drive. Today 37 percent of the campus is devoted
to green space, which includes more than 5,000 deciduous and
evergreen trees.
Henry and Jefferson Halls
Trustees of the University of Illinois selected the names for the classroom buildings
on the Circle campus. Henry and Jefferson Halls were named for Patrick Henry and
Thomas Jefferson, both governors of the Commonwealth of Virginia when Illinois was a part of
that territory.
Dating from the first two phases of campus construction, the linked classroom buildings feature common design elements that contribute a signature appearance to the Netsch campus.
Exterior reinforced concrete pillars frame and support the three-story
buildings, which feature recessed window walls adjoining open galleries on the top two floors. University Hall and Science and Engineering
Offices incorporate similar design elements.
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Block I Window Design
The upper two floors of the classroom buildings feature long narrow windows in the form of a block I for
Illinois, a signature of the Netsch design at UIC. The
shape of the recessed windows limits the amount of
light that can enter the building, thus eliminating the
need for blinds, curtains, or other window treatments
in the building interior. The long rectangular central
sections feature bronze glass, a relatively new material at the time, to
control light and heat in summer. The trapezoidal top and bottom sections
have clear glass.
Connecting Walkways
Enclosed walkways linked the closely adjoining
classroom buildings of the historic Netsch campus so that students traveling from one building
to another need not go outside. Here the original
walkway, no longer in use, has been replaced by a
two-story glass-enclosed accessible passageway
linking the two buildings. The broader walkway, and
an elevator, are recent additions to address requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
University Hall
The 28-story office tower is the tallest structure on campus and the most visible
symbol of Netsch’s revolutionary campus design. Intended as a campus landmark, its monumental silhouette stands tall on the Near West Side of Chicago.
The building’s exposed reinforced concrete skeleton and narrow recessed windows match the classroom buildings scattered throughout the campus.
“Big Shoulders” Design
Borrowing from Carl Sandburg’s evocation of Chicago as the
“City of the Big Shoulders,” Walter Netsch designed “big shoulders” into his most prominent campus structure. Viewed from
the east and west sides, University Hall expands as it rises,
measuring 150 feet wide up to floor eight, 160 feet wide from
floor 9 to 16, and 170 feet wide from floor 17 to 28. A series
of cantilevers makes this unusual design possible. Seen from
the north and south ends, the building width remains constant.
Enormous columns at ground level support the weight
of University Hall.
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Rebecca Port Faculty-Student Center
The Rebecca Port Faculty-Student Center occupies the first and second floors in the southwest
corner of University Hall. A generous gift from
campus benefactor Sid Port funded the recent
renovation of this part of the building, and the
Port Center opened in spring 2004.
The original walkways that connected University
Hall to other campus buildings passed through
the second floor area, where a huge granite sign bears the
name University Hall. A seating area at the west end occupies the
stub of a walkway that once carried pedestrians down to ground
level via a pair of circular ramps mimicking the nearby expressway
interchange.
The principal points of entry from the walkways were at the second
floor level in all the Netsch buildings. Even today, these areas are
generally more finished and more attractive than the floor below.
Behavioral Sciences Building
The four-story geometric structure on the far side
of University Hall Plaza is the Behavioral Sciences Building.
Dating from the third phase of campus construction, BSB combines concrete and brick in what
Walter Netsch considered his most sophisticated
example of Field Theory design at UIC.
The geometric complexity of the building renders the interior extremely difficult to navigate.
Only in recent years has extensive signage
been added to aid those searching for a particular classroom or office.
Stevenson Hall
Stevenson Hall is named for Adlai E. Stevenson I, a Congressman from
Illinois and the twenty-third Vice President of the United States. The
two classroom buildings that were to form a cluster with Stevenson Hall
were never built.
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Lincoln, Douglas, and Grant Halls
Lincoln and Douglas Halls are named for
Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas,
two great political leaders from Illinois. Grant
Hall bears the name of Civil War General and
U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant.
Like the other Netsch classroom buildings,
these three are connected by enclosed walkways. Today the original Netsch walkway still
links Douglas to Lincoln, while a more recent
two-story glass-enclosed walkway links Douglas to Grant. An original granite bench stands to the left of the
entrance to Grant Hall. Housing the Sandi Port Errant Language and Culture Learning Center, Grant Hall illustrates a striking and important transition to green architecture at UIC.
Here Lincoln, Douglas, and Grant are in the foreground, showing their proximity to the Forum. This is just
before demolition.
Green Architecture at UIC
While Douglas Hall looks much as it did when the campus opened in
1965, Grant Hall has changed dramatically, thanks in part to a generous gift from UIC benefactor Sid Port in memory of his daughter. Today
Grant Hall houses the Sandi Port Errant Language and Culture Learning
Center, a state-of-the-art learning environment created by the Smithgroup. A remodel of Lincoln Hall will soon follow.
The new Grant Hall is a model of energy efficiency. Fourteen 500’ deep geothermal wells
located nearby help to heat and cool the
building naturally, making this the first campus
classroom building that maintains a comfortable temperature year-round. Given an
opportunity to influence the redesign of Grant Hall, UIC faculty and students asked
for improved heating and cooling. A grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community
Foundation made this cost-efficient, environmentally friendly geothermal system
possible.
More natural light was another suggestion from faculty and students. To achieve
this, the new façade is composed mostly of energy efficient glass. Gone are the narrow recessed windows,
Netsch’s solution for eliminating blinds or curtains in the building interior. Recognizing the importance of the
building’s original modernist esthetic, the Smithgroup matched the window rhythm to that of the adjoining
buildings.
Richard J. Daley Library
Dating from 1963, the library is named for former Mayor Richard J. Daley,
who was instrumental in bringing a campus of the University of Illinois to
the city of Chicago.
Considered an anchor building of the historic Netsch campus, the fourstory library was built in two stages: first, the central structure, followed by
additions on the north and south ends. The original building extended to
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the end of the first brick-faced bays. Two additional bays were
eventually added at each end. Two wings running to the west
were planned but never built. Stucco panels visible along the
west face of the building indicate their intended placement.
Science and Engineering Offices
Science and Engineering Offices, 13
stories in height, opened for use in 1968,
when Morgan Street was the westernmost
campus boundary. The two sections of the
building, slightly off-set from one another,
contain matching concrete-framed scissor
staircases, visible from the building exterior.
Again, narrow recessed windows on the building signal the
work of Walter Netsch.
A large engraved block of granite bearing the name Science and Engineering Offices identifies the building on both the north and south sides. Today
a black wrought iron fence has replaced the brick wall that surrounded the
historic Netsch campus.
Taft, Burnham, and Addams Halls
Each building in the Taft-Burnham-Addams cluster was named for an
individual who seized Chicago as a place of opportunity. Loredo Taft
was a sculptor, educator, and cultural
leader. Architect Daniel H. Burnham,
known to have said, “Make no little
plans,” coordinated the 1893 World’s
Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Nobel Peace Prize winner Jane Addams
founded Hull-House, the first settlement
house in Chicago, in 1889.
These three classroom buildings are
linked by the original Netsch-designed walkways. An original granite
bench still stands to the left of the entrance to Addams Hall.
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Science and Engineering Laboratories
Walter Netsch described the enormous Science and
Engineering Laboratories as “a city underneath a
roof.” Here the architect used bricks twice as large as
those used in smaller campus buildings to express
the size and strength of structures devoted to science and engineering. They are arranged to form an
endless pattern of letter I’s on the building exterior.
The dramatic ceiling arch between the east and west
sides of these SEL second-story walkway, columnsenormous buildings owes its height to the second-story
walkway that has been removed. From under the arch, one can see a
concrete walkway still in use at the fourth floor level.
The columns supporting the roof here are a much larger version of those
surrounding the lecture centers, again proportional in size to the load they
carry. They lack the butterfly capitals visible in the other location, and because they have been rotated by 45 degrees, they
expose a different geometry. The twisted columns
here and on the lecture centers are precursors
to the SEL twisted columns twisted geometry of
Field Theory.
Science and Engineering South
Science and Engineering South, created by
Netsch in phase three
of campus construction, is another example of his Field Theory
design model, which
consisted of rotating
simple squares by 45
degrees to form complex geometric elements radiating outward.
The two major wings of the building contain offices and laboratories to the
east and classrooms to the west. A planned phase four addition was cancelled. The covered breezeway area and staircases leading away from it
utilize granite as the building material.
Blue Island Corridor
Blue Island Avenue, one of the diagonal streets intersecting the grid system on the south
side of Chicago, originally ran north as far as Halsted Street. With the construction of the
Chicago Circle campus, Blue Island Avenue from Roosevelt Road to Halsted Street was removed. Although the diagonal thoroughfare across campus is gone, it still traces a faint line
from the corner of Taylor and Morgan to the corner of Harrison and Halsted.
Underneath the Blue Island corridor runs one of Commonwealth Edison’s main arteries for
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power to the Loop. Because of the power lines, Walter Netsch was unable to build any
structures over this underground corridor.
The garden south of Science and Engineering Offices owes its existence to this building
restriction.
Netsch-designed Fence
To the east of the Taylor and Morgan intersection, one of the
remaining Netsch-designed fences borders parking lot 10.
Divided horizontally into three sections, the fence features vertical members spaced further and further apart as it rises. This
style of fence also runs south along Halsted from Hull-House
to the intersection with Taylor.
Chicago Circle Memorial Grove
Walter Netsch designed this garden with its elliptical
asphalt path and low granite benches in 1968.
Originally enclosed by brick walls, Chicago Circle
Memorial Grove is now surrounded by a wrought iron
fence. The striking scissor staircase of Science and
Engineering Offices is visible from the garden.
In the lawn near SEO is a small octagonal plaque
dating from 1973. It commemorates a member of the
Physical Plant staff: Harry W. Pearce, Associate Director Emeritus, Physical Plant, Coordinator of Phase 1 Construction at Chicago Circle
Memorial Grove.
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Addenda
Chronology of Campus Construction
Phase One – 1963 to 1965
When the university opened in 1965, only Phase One buildings were ready. They consisted of University Hall,
the lecture centers, the original library, the north section of Science and Engineering Labs, and the following
classroom buildings: Jefferson, Grant, Douglas, Lincoln, Burnham, Addams, and Taft.
Architects working under Netsch included C.F. Murphy, who designed the two student unions. Chicago Circle
Center, known today as Student Center East, and Chicago Illini Union, or Student Center West, were both
built during the first phase of campus construction.
Phase Two – 1966 to 1968
Buildings added in Phase Two were the north and south additions to the library, the south section of Science
and Engineering Labs, Science and Engineering Offices, Architecture and Art, and Henry and Stevenson
Halls. All were designed by Walter Netsch.
Phase Three – 1967 to 1971
The Behavioral Science Building and Science and Engineering South, both designed by Walter Netsch, were
constructed between 1967 and 1969. Architect Harry Weese designed the Physical Education Building, the
UIC Theater, and the Education, Performing Arts, and Social Work building, which were erected between 1968
and 1971.
The following projects scheduled for Phase Three were cancelled: Architecture and Art addition, west wing
additions to the library, and two classroom buildings which were to form a cluster with Stevenson Hall.
Phase Four – 1970
All Phase Four buildings were cancelled: Netsch’s addition to Science and Engineering South and Harry
Weese’s Performing Arts and Classroom/Office Building.
For More Information
Interviews with Walter Netsch, August 4 and 11, 1998, UIC Oral History Project, Office of the UIC Historian
Oral History of Walter Netsch, Interviewed by Betty J. Blum, The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Architects
Oral History Project.
Some Fields Are in the City, A Talk for the Chicago Literary Club, William G. Jones, March 28, 2005
Accompanying PowerPoint slides
A Tribute to Walter Netsch: Campus Designer and Architect of the University of Illinois at Chicago, University
of Illinois at Chicago College of Architecture and the Arts Commencement Video, May 10, 2008
The University of Illinois at Chicago: A Pictorial History, Fred W. Beuttler, Melvin G. Holli, and Robert V. Remini,
The College History Series, Arcadia Publishing, 2000
Walking About UIC: Reading Urban Texts, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, 1999
Walter A. Netsch, FAIA: A Critical Appreciation and Sourcebook, Northwestern University Library, 2008
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Acknowledgements
Discover UIC wishes to acknowledge everyone who has shown interest in and support for this project. We
extend our apologies to anyone who has been left off.
Beuttler, Fred, Office of the UIC Historian
Bruegmann, Robert, Department of Art History
Chapman, Warren, Office of the Vice Chancellor for External Affairs
Cook, James, Facility Information Management
Ebel, Darlene, Facility Information Management
Gislason, Eric, Office of the Chancellor
Gislason, Sharon Fetzer, Department of Chemistry
Haar, Sharon, Department of Art History
Hale, Debra, Web Communications, Enrollment and Academic Services
Hendry, Julia, University Library
Jones, William G., University Library
Kaufman, Lon, Undergraduate Affairs and the Honors College
Kirshner, Judith, College of Architecture and the Arts
Knutson, Donna, Office of the Chancellor
Naru, Linda, University Library
Norsym, Arlene, Alumni Association
Okimoto, Kurt, Web Communications, Enrollment and Academic Services
Planas, Fernando, Admissions and Records
Remini, Robert, Office of the UIC Historian
Rouzer, Rob, UIC Student Centers
Snow, Carole, Enrollment and Academic Services
Sokol, David, Department of Art History
Stempel, Laura, Faculty Affairs
Susinka, William, Office of the Provost
Tam, Mo-Yin, Faculty Affairs
Tynan, Kevin, Marketing Communications
Vatuk, Sylvia, Department of Anthropology
Waak, Jason Marcus, Office of the UIC Historian
Wagoner, Wendy, Office of Campus Learning Environments
Weller, Ann, University Library
Zweigle Yee, Liz, Marketing Communications
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Photo Credits
Photos and images courtesy of:
Office of the UIC Historian
Office of Facility Information Management
University Library
Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill
Walter Netsch
Orlando Cabanban, Photographer
Chicago Sun-Times
UIUC
William G. Jones
Robert M. Rouzer
Eileen Tanner
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