S.R. Crown Hall

S.R. Crown Hall embodies Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's concept of universal space. Rather than designing narrowly for a specific purpose, Mies sought to create a structure that could be adapted to different uses as needs changed over time. He realized this goal by moving all structural supports to the building's exterior wall, thus creating a large clearspan structure with 120 x 220 x 18 feet of unencumbered interior space. Mies knew he had achieved something extraordinary with Crown Hall, and he called it "the clearest structure we have done, the best to express our philosophy." Crown Hall was and continues to be a standard for architects everywhere. It is named after Sol R. Crown, Colonel Henry Crown's brother, who co-founded Material Service Corporation. Colonel Henry Crown was a member of IIT's Board of Trustees (text from website Illinois Institute of Technology).