So imagine that you’re the city of Chicago, home to famous architects Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rohe. You are widely respected for having the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), a school whose architecture was designed by Mies and houses the masterpiece known as Crown Hall. Given other options, why would you destroy one of Mies’ buildings, even this minor one (which, it should be noted, is outside the Mies master-planned area of IIT)? Well that is what’s happening with the “Test Cell” later this week as it is demolished to make room for a new commuter line.
“If you had even a minor doodle by Rembrandt, and you weren’t forced to throw it in a fire, why would you?” another proponent of saving the building, Chicago architecture critic Edward Lifson, wrote on his “Hello Beautiful!” blog.
Given what Edward Lifson has posted on the subject, I don’t understand why they couldn’t redirect the line a bit to go around this site. I was there last year and there’s quite a bit of open space around IIT and the “Test Cell.” It seems a pretty intentional move to obliterate this structure. I agree with Lifson, the line would be much more interesting if it passed next to the work of Mies van der Rohe instead of through where it used to be.
I also know that Chicago is a big city and is going to have to increasingly balance the new with the old. In cases like this, the new just better improve upon the old. It’s hard to say that the new Metra station design is better than even a minor work of Mies. To read a thoughtful piece on why they are moving forward with the demolition, you should read the Chicago Tribune piece by Blair Kamin. The postscript at the end of the article makes some salient points on behalf of Mies’ grandson.
No matter what, a small piece of Mies’ history will be removed this week. If you live in Chicago and are a fan of Mies van der Rohe, get your photos now.
