Illinois Tech's S.R. Crown Hall

S.R. Crown Hall remains the active and iconic home of IIIT's School of Architecture — the building Mies van der Rohe designed in 1956 specifically for architectural education and studio life. Often described as “the Parthenon of the 20th century”, Crown Hall is still a daily workspace for students, who occupy its vast, uninterrupted studio floor beneath the 18 foot ceilings and the four great plate girders that define its structure. It is supported by four plate girders spanning 26,000 square feet of uninterrupted space with 18-foot ceilings.   This fall, the Mies Society is leading the restoration of Crown Hall’s historic Porch and Steps — a project that honors Mies’s original vision while ensuring the building continues to function as a world class center for architectural education. The restoration reinforces Crown Hall’s role not only as a masterpiece of the International Style, but as a living, breathing academic environment where Mies’s philosophy — “make room enough for any function” — continues to shape how future architects learn and create.