CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Two new exhibitions focusing on architecture are on view Feb. 6 through 28 at I space, the Chicago gallery of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign:
"High-rise and Habitat: Proposals for Supertall Buildings for 7 S. Dearborn, Chicago" features tall-building projects designed by first-year graduate students in the U. of I. School of Architecture. The students created the work - based on a program proposal provided by Chicago architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill - while enrolled in a design studio course last fall. The proposed mixed-use, high-rise tower in Chicago's Loop area, if built, would have been the world's tallest skyscraper. Because the site is small relative to the proposed tower's height, the design required an innovative structural system.
Illinois architecture professor Paul Armstrong, who taught the design studio with assistance from other School of Architecture faculty in the Design and Structures programs, said the students researched and analyzed other tall buildings as precedents and considered their structural systems, core layouts, program and uses, and their impacts on urban habitats. The resulting projects, he said, "illustrate the collaborative nature of tall building design and the impact that tall buildings have on the skylines and urban fabric of cities."
"Chicago Architectural Club Members Exhibition" is an annual show featuring sketches, drawings and photographs. According to the club Web site, the show will explore the state of Chicago architecture through a review of members' current work.
An opening reception is scheduled to take place from 6-8 p.m. on Feb. 6 at the gallery, 230 W. Superior St., Chicago.
I space gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.