Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies, Chicago Michigan Avenue Building, Photo, Educational Design Images
Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies Chicago
Michigan Avenue Educational Center Development: Illinois Offices Building – design by Krueck & Sexton Architects
page updated Dec 15, 2018 ; May 29, 2009
Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies
Location: Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL, USA
Architect: Krueck & Sexton, Chicago IL
The Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies selected Krueck & Sexton to design a signature architectural statement about the nature of Jewish culture, light and learning.
Photographs: Bill Zbaren
Spertus, set in the Historic Michigan Boulevard District designed by architects such as Burnham and Sullivan, resembles an exquisitely cut diamond placed into the great wall of stone that rises like a cliff across Grant Park. Its faceted and folded glass façade is an expression of light, both metaphorical and actual, which is fundamental to Jewish religious and intellectual traditions.
Spertus’ logo spells let there be light, which represents the educational and spiritual enlightenment that is achieved through learning. Present day materials and technologies are chosen and rigorously deployed and detailed in order to support the desired building expression, and reveal the inner dynamic and energy of the many programs within. The unabashedly sculptural and transparent expression of the institution is of our time, while engaging in a dialogue across time with masterpieces that put Chicago on the architectural map.
The new building functions as a vertical campus, containing museum galleries, a library and archives, a 400-seat multi-use auditorium, a degree granting college, café and gift shop, and administrative offices. The inner dynamic and diversity of Spertus is achieved by a soaring ground floor lobby and a meandering atrium at the top of the building. This spatial solution physically and symbolically connects the institution’s varied functions, creating a series of grandly scaled rooms that borrow light, space, and vitality from each other.
Through a variety of measures, including high performance lighting, demand based ventilation, and heat recovery, the building achieves a 29% reduction in energy consumption, resulting in over 300 tons of avoided CO2 per year. Water-saving fixtures are used throughout. The quality of the building’s indoor air is ensured by the use of healthy materials, high-efficiency air filtration, and special humidity controls, providing for the well-being of staff, students, and visitors, as well as the long-term preservation of the Institute’s archival treasures.
Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership images / information from Krueck & Sexton, Chicago IL
Address: Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership, 610 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605, USA
Location:610 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605, USA
Chicago Architecture
Chicago Architecture Design – chronological list
Chicago Architecture Walking Tours – city walks by e-architect
Jewish Architecture
Major Jewish Buildings – Selection
Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, USA
Design: Studio Libeskind
photograph © Andrew McRae
Contemporary Jewish Museum San Francisco
Jewish Museum, Berlin, Germany
Studio Libeskind
pictures © Guenter Schneider photo © Guenter Schneider
Jewish Museum Berlin
Comments / photos for the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies Chicago Architecture page welcome
Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies
BuildingWebsite: Chicago
