In 2017, the SOM-designed Architecture and Arts Building at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) marks its 50th anniversary. This August, the College of Architecture and the Arts will host an exhibition on SOM’s 1960 master plan and building designs for UIC, which envisioned a new model for the American public university campus. “The Netsch Campus: Materializing the Public at UIC?” will feature rarely seen watercolor sketches and urban and architectural diagrams by former SOM Partner Walter Netsch, as well as black and white photography by Orlando Cabanban capturing SOM’s extensive work on the campus.
A firm believer in the importance of architectural design for public universities, Walter Netsch played a fundamental role in shaping the UIC campus. In addition to serving as the lead designer of the master plan, he also designed the school’s Behavioral Sciences and Architecture and Arts buildings. A highly influential American architect, Netsch was responsible for some of the most iconic buildings of the 20th century, including the Cadet Chapel at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the Inland Steel Building in Chicago.
The Netsch Campus: Materializing the Public at UIC
August 10-27, 2016
10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Tuesday – Friday
12:00 – 6:00 p.m. Saturday
College of Architecture and the Arts, Gallery 400
University of Illinois at Chicago
400 South Peoria Street, MC 034,
Chicago, Illinois
The exhibition is free and open to the public.