"A Stone Dropped in a Pond of Water"

Walter Netsch’s unique campus design is based on the metaphor of a stone dropped in a pond of water. Buildings are grouped by function with the most important – the lecture centers – forming a close circle at the center.

Classroom building clusters, anchored by the Richard J. Daley Library to the west and Student Center East to the east, form the next ring. Offices and laboratories are further removed from the center, and on the outermost ring to the south are the athletic fields. With the large buildings situated towards the outside, the central area is buffered acoustically from the noise of the nearby expressway.

Inspired by classical motifs like the ancient Greek agora, the Forum and Lecture Centers represent the center of learning; the place where students and their teachers gather to discuss ideas. From there, learning extends outwards in all directions. “What happens between classes came to be regarded as being as important to what happens within classes,” said Netsch. His campus design facilitates “the meeting-in-the-corridor on a grand scale.”

Field Theory

In most of his architectural work, Walter Netsch used and developed Field Theory. This style of architecture consists 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, yet 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.

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 colors and sizes of brick as well as six different finishes for the 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,” 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 original granite elevated walkways that Netsch created to link campus buildings to one another. Those at the ground level found themselves walking in what Netsch referred to as “a forest of columns.” Netsch designed columns of varying height and girth, depending on the load they were to carry.