As an IIT Alumni and former architectural tour guide on the Mies campus, I have a few things to add! As you walk through the building, you can see that there are three independent structures - the 1892 steel structure of the train line (which has been encased in unfinished concrete where within the building), the sloped black concrete columns which hold up the metal tube, and black I-beams that hold up the building itself. If you look closely, the Miesian black steel structure does not follow the angular form of the building, instead adhering rigidly to the column grid that Mies used across his campus masterplan. All three are completely isolated and do not touch each other (you can see the rubber movement joints in the ceiling). The transit authority allowed the construction only because it was done around the active train line without affecting operations in any way. The 'tube' was first conceived as a closed pipe shape in the original competition scheme, but acoustic studies showed that it would have amplified the sound, which led to the open-top tube design. I've heard that the university wanted the (expensive) tube to completely eliminate all train noise within the building, so the design team faked that result but instead designed for the maximum sound level that would not interrupt a conversation, as Koolhaas wanted students to be able to hear that the train was going past! OMA were a bit cheeky in the design of the building, leaving permanent reminders of the design development process in the final design of the building. The soffit and roof fascia of the building were all intended to be plasterboard with pricey zebra wood cladding, and the university wanted to swap this for a cheaper material during design stage. Koolhaas instead suggested revealing the unfinished patched plasterboard underneath, as a tongue in cheek way to teach architecture students about construction processes. After specifying perfectly spaced screws and consistently patched joints, the budget for the ceiling eventually exceeded the original estimates for zebrawood! OMA later re-used this detail. On the external fascia, patched weatherboards are painted in a zebrawood pattern. The graphics are designed by 2x4, a frequent OMA collaborator, and the icons depict all the activities they imagined would go on within the building, and there are a few naughty ones if you know where to look! The glass icon mural depicts figures from the history of the university including it's founder and Mies. & that's just scratching the surface of this conceptually fascinating yet esoteric structure!
Seriously. So much architecture content online is so obnoxious, pretentious and generally up its own arse. It's always such a welcome relief coming back to an Archimarathon video that is genuine, casual, and full of banter, whilst not eschewing (a word those other arch videos would use 😅😂) the core content and fundamental principles required. It makes it soooooooo much more engaging and fun to watch and learn from without the wankey single-voicey punditry.
Not been in the fortunate situation yet of experiencing the building in real life, only through the photos on our server... Great guys, thank you so much! Love your casually wondering comments, and pleasantly surprised that, looking through your lens, after 20+ years it seems the building is in a fair decent state despite the seamingly low budget ;) Love your video channel!! Architect@OMA
as a former architecture student who studied at iit, both crown hall and MTCC ended up being my favorite buildings on campus. they contradict each other while also completing each other. in MTCC there are so many weird little nooks and crannies, quite a lovely building. Amazing to bounce back and forth between Crown and MTCC. also it was initially proposed to be a train stop for campus, but budget and bureaucratic constraints lead to its demise. would have be interesting to see how students and the public both interact with the project.
My grandfather went to IIT (the Armour Institute of Technology, at the time) and graduated in the class of ~1907. As both an engineer and a man with a wonderful creative side (in retirement, he reinvigorated the Chicago Horticultural Society in the 1940’s and 50’s), he would have loved both the Mies buildings and this new student center. Thanks for your thoughtful vid.
Thank you Kevin and Andrew for visiting IIT, what a playful student centre showcasing new materials, and a joy to hear your banter and learn at the same time.
Amazing! I love the complexity and yet fluidity of the space. The constant reminder of the train presence it’s like the building compass. I’d loved the pipe to be a train station as well
I'm a bit disappointed now that the OMA building on our campus (Educatorium, Utrecht) isn't as wacky and colourful as this - no orange either, even though it's literally in the Netherlands! 😆 But I do see a lot if similarities now, and there are some more restrained colours and blob like shapes - which I usually don't notice as I try to get 100-120 undergrads to sit their exam in an orderly fashion and then I'm tired 😅
Can we get a link to the Kevin eye-roll gif, please 😂 Also, Andrew. I've only recently (yesterday) become aware of the video of your Fast Forward 2024 talk at the University of Auckland. I just love how you keep it honest and cut the bullshit. It's wonderfully inspiring 💚
Looks bloody awesome. It reminds me of.... absolutely nothing. :) Edit: it's always compulsory to visit the toilets. For example, if you don't visit the toilets in the Sydney Opera House, then you won't be gob-smacked. So, make sure you visit them when you visit it!
I also went to IIT for architecture, and one of my friends said it best when he said that the tube was a bat OMA was taking to a Mies building - hence the V profile on the southern and northern ends.
Also there was a competition for this project, and I believe OMA were the only ones who occupied the space under the train, all other submissions favored one side of the bifurcated site. Apparently Helmut Jahn was so pissed he lost that the school basically handed him SSV (the dorm project just south of the MTCC you showed that has the glass wall facing the train) to make it up to him!
OKAY you guys missed the coolest part about the organ he wall!!! When you walk along it creates a perfectly round “portal” that’s like 2’ in diameter that you can see through and everything thing else is fuzzy. 🤦♂️ it’s killingme that you missed it!!! I wish I could attach a video to this to show you! Ffs
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
As an IIT Alumni and former architectural tour guide on the Mies campus, I have a few things to add!
As you walk through the building, you can see that there are three independent structures - the 1892 steel structure of the train line (which has been encased in unfinished concrete where within the building), the sloped black concrete columns which hold up the metal tube, and black I-beams that hold up the building itself. If you look closely, the Miesian black steel structure does not follow the angular form of the building, instead adhering rigidly to the column grid that Mies used across his campus masterplan. All three are completely isolated and do not touch each other (you can see the rubber movement joints in the ceiling). The transit authority allowed the construction only because it was done around the active train line without affecting operations in any way.
The 'tube' was first conceived as a closed pipe shape in the original competition scheme, but acoustic studies showed that it would have amplified the sound, which led to the open-top tube design. I've heard that the university wanted the (expensive) tube to completely eliminate all train noise within the building, so the design team faked that result but instead designed for the maximum sound level that would not interrupt a conversation, as Koolhaas wanted students to be able to hear that the train was going past!
OMA were a bit cheeky in the design of the building, leaving permanent reminders of the design development process in the final design of the building. The soffit and roof fascia of the building were all intended to be plasterboard with pricey zebra wood cladding, and the university wanted to swap this for a cheaper material during design stage. Koolhaas instead suggested revealing the unfinished patched plasterboard underneath, as a tongue in cheek way to teach architecture students about construction processes. After specifying perfectly spaced screws and consistently patched joints, the budget for the ceiling eventually exceeded the original estimates for zebrawood! OMA later re-used this detail. On the external fascia, patched weatherboards are painted in a zebrawood pattern.
The graphics are designed by 2x4, a frequent OMA collaborator, and the icons depict all the activities they imagined would go on within the building, and there are a few naughty ones if you know where to look! The glass icon mural depicts figures from the history of the university including it's founder and Mies.
& that's just scratching the surface of this conceptually fascinating yet esoteric structure!
Thanks Jonathan for the extra insights
That is super interesting and the 'unfinished' ceiling being more expensive made me laugh out loud!
The conversation format is fascinating and very much appreciated. No wanky single-voicey punditry.
Thank you
Seriously. So much architecture content online is so obnoxious, pretentious and generally up its own arse.
It's always such a welcome relief coming back to an Archimarathon video that is genuine, casual, and full of banter, whilst not eschewing (a word those other arch videos would use 😅😂) the core content and fundamental principles required.
It makes it soooooooo much more engaging and fun to watch and learn from without the wankey single-voicey punditry.
Not been in the fortunate situation yet of experiencing the building in real life, only through the photos on our server...
Great guys, thank you so much! Love your casually wondering comments, and pleasantly surprised that, looking through your lens, after 20+ years it seems the building is in a fair decent state despite the seamingly low budget ;)
Love your video channel!! Architect@OMA
Thanks Mark. Was wondering what OMA thinks about this video.
as a former architecture student who studied at iit, both crown hall and MTCC ended up being my favorite buildings on campus. they contradict each other while also completing each other. in MTCC there are so many weird little nooks and crannies, quite a lovely building. Amazing to bounce back and forth between Crown and MTCC.
also it was initially proposed to be a train stop for campus, but budget and bureaucratic constraints lead to its demise. would have be interesting to see how students and the public both interact with the project.
Oh it would have been amazing to be a station as well. As mentioned in the video I always thought it was a station
My grandfather went to IIT (the Armour Institute of Technology, at the time) and graduated in the class of ~1907. As both an engineer and a man with a wonderful creative side (in retirement, he reinvigorated the Chicago Horticultural Society in the 1940’s and 50’s), he would have loved both the Mies buildings and this new student center. Thanks for your thoughtful vid.
Thank you Kevin and Andrew for visiting IIT, what a playful student centre showcasing new materials, and a joy to hear your banter and learn at the same time.
Thank you for watching and commenting
Great tour as always. Love the cinematography on this one. The building looks great on camera
Thank you
Amazing! I love the complexity and yet fluidity of the space. The constant reminder of the train presence it’s like the building compass.
I’d loved the pipe to be a train station as well
Nice Setas de Sevilla shirt, I bought the tote when I visited 2 years ago. It's such a nice elevation.
Well spotted
I'm a bit disappointed now that the OMA building on our campus (Educatorium, Utrecht) isn't as wacky and colourful as this - no orange either, even though it's literally in the Netherlands! 😆 But I do see a lot if similarities now, and there are some more restrained colours and blob like shapes - which I usually don't notice as I try to get 100-120 undergrads to sit their exam in an orderly fashion and then I'm tired 😅
Educatorium is still pretty special though. Hoping to revisit next year in June
Can we get a link to the Kevin eye-roll gif, please 😂
Also, Andrew. I've only recently (yesterday) become aware of the video of your Fast Forward 2024 talk at the University of Auckland. I just love how you keep it honest and cut the bullshit. It's wonderfully inspiring 💚
Great Guys, Good show
Thank you. 🙏
Looks bloody awesome. It reminds me of.... absolutely nothing. :)
Edit: it's always compulsory to visit the toilets. For example, if you don't visit the toilets in the Sydney Opera House, then you won't be gob-smacked.
So, make sure you visit them when you visit it!
I also went to IIT for architecture, and one of my friends said it best when he said that the tube was a bat OMA was taking to a Mies building - hence the V profile on the southern and northern ends.
Also there was a competition for this project, and I believe OMA were the only ones who occupied the space under the train, all other submissions favored one side of the bifurcated site.
Apparently Helmut Jahn was so pissed he lost that the school basically handed him SSV (the dorm project just south of the MTCC you showed that has the glass wall facing the train) to make it up to him!
Interesting take
Wow. Why was IIT scared of Helmut Jahn?
@@Archimarathon Chicago has a very drama filled starchitecture scene lol
@@qgallagh 😂
"Sunken computer pit" new band name, I call dibs!
Awesome
As a Dutch person im proud off what OMA did in the past but i'm also quite bored how there current projects are looking from them.
Yeah tbh I haven’t been thrilled with their work recently.
OKAY you guys missed the coolest part about the organ he wall!!! When you walk along it creates a perfectly round “portal” that’s like 2’ in diameter that you can see through and everything thing else is fuzzy. 🤦♂️ it’s killingme that you missed it!!!
I wish I could attach a video to this to show you! Ffs
*orange wall^