Crown Hall Renovation, Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, IL
Mies van der Rohe's Crown Hall, home to the Architecture School at IIT, is one of the purest expressions of the late Modern Movement and a cherished icon of 20th Century architecture. atelier ten and Transsolar were hired by IIT to explore how the many comfort problems in the building can be addressed in the upcoming renovation without changing the appearance of this masterpiece. Furthermore the Architecture School wanted a solution that reduced energy consumption and would allow them to use the building's original mixed mode ventilation strategy.
By uncovering environmental aspects of the original design and applying them when possible to the school's current needs, atelier ten and Transsolar established a catalog of measures to be included in the renovation. Some of the proposed measures are restorations of the original design, for example planting trees along the south and west façades, while others focus on upgrading technical systems, for example replacing lighting fixtures, automating the natural ventilation flaps, and improving control of the radiant floor system.
Through energy and daylight simulations atelier ten and Transsolar evaluated the effectiveness of these measures and developed a renovation concept that greatly improves comfort, reduces energy consumption by fifty percent, and leaves intact Crown Hall's architecture and details.
