Officials from the University of Chicago and award-winning architect Ann Beha of Boston spoke with nearly 30 people last week at a community meeting about the goals and design process for the adaptive reuse of the building at 5757 S. University Ave.
At the lunchtime event on Oct. 6, Beha shared historical research, photographs and information on the condition of the building, which is the home of Chicago Theological Seminary until the seminary's move in 2012. The building will then be adapted for use by the University, creating space for the Department of Economics and the Milton Friedman Institute for Research in Economics - which will, in turn, open up other space for academic uses at the heart of campus.
The team from Ann Beha Architects undertook extensive background research and assessment this summer, in preparation for design work on the building.
"This building is really special," said Beha, who has received accolades nationwide for adaptive reuse projects. She said she wanted to balance careful stewardship of the building with creativity in approaching its new use, as well as improving accessibility and sustainability.
Steve Wiesenthal, Associate Vice President for Facilities Services and University Architect, explained that the design phase of the project is beginning now and will continue for a little more than a year, with construction on the project scheduled to begin in spring, 2012. At the same time, the University is pursuing an adaptive reuse of McGiffert House, 5751 S. Woodlawn Ave, which will allow the Co-op Bookstore to move to larger quarters by early 2012.
Wiesenthal also outlined some work at 5757 S. University Ave. that is not part of the design process, and will begin soon.
Wiesenthal said that a number of stained glass windows that are part of the seminary's heritage, and which the seminary will install in its new facility south of the Midway, will be removed later this month. Those windows include an altar window in the Taylor Chapel, all of the ecclesiastical windows in the smaller Hilton Chapel, and a number of windows in the west facade.
The seminary will also move some smaller artifacts, such as commemorative plaques, to the new facility as part of an agreement made at the time the University purchased the building in 2008.
"We're working very much together, both the University and the Seminary, to make this successful," Wiesenthal said. "We're continuing to be good stewards."
Wiesenthal said that by creating a vital academic asset at the heart of campus, the University will safeguard the future of the building. He reinforced the idea that the adaptive reuse would highlight and enhance the building, combining respect and sensitivity with creativity.
The charge for Ann Beha Architects, said Wiesenthal, is to use the existing iconic architectural character of 5757 S. University Ave. as a point of departure in creating a distinctive addition to the overall campus. He added that Ann Beha Architects' track record with adaptive reuse projects at Princeton University and Wellesley College, among others, makes the firm ideal for this endeavor.
The address at 5757 S. University Ave. contains two buildings, built between 1923 and 1928. They need significant upgrades to meet accessibility and safety codes, along with replacement of mechanical systems and other infrastructure, and improvement in wayfinding and movement within the buildings.
Wiesenthal acknowledged that any change to a well-known building can raise questions, and that not everyone will agree with every change proposed in this project. But he said that a careful and respectful process of change will best guarantee the future of 5757 S. University Ave.
Arnold Randall, Director for the Office of Civic Engagement, was also on hand to answer questions. He underscored the University's commitment to closely working with the community to ensure that a wide variety of voices are heard. Randall said that the University recently formed a community group to look more broadly at architecture and facilities across campus, as part of its Heritage Resource Strategy.
"The working group that we've formed will help us to look at this in a larger context," he said. "Ultimately, our goal here is to have something beautiful."
Randall said another community meeting will likely be held in months to come, when the design phase has progressed further.
In addition to 5757 S. University Ave., the University also purchased McGiffert House, a newer dormitory building, from the Chicago Theological Seminary in 2008. As part of the sale, the University is building a new facility for the Seminary at the corner of 60th Street and Dorchester Avenue., where construction is already underway.
The Seminary Co-op Bookstore, now located in the basement of 5757 S. University Ave., will move to a new 8,900-square-foot-home in the basement and first floor of the McGiffert House, 5751 S. Woodlawn Ave. Tigerman McCurry Architects will spearhead the design process for the Co-op bookstore project. The widely respected Chicago firm was chosen earlier this year by an architect selection committee to design the new, expanded space. The Co-op's move and the McGiffert renovation are being funded by the University. The bookstore project is moving on a parallel path with the 5757 project, and the Co-op is expected to move by early 2012.
—Prof. Jacqueline Stewart
