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Project

Michelson Center for Physics

The adaptive reuse of the Michelson Center for Physics building transformed the existing midcentury modern building into a 21st century research center.

Lead Contact

Project Details

Project Partners
Perkins Eastman
Owner
The University Of Chicago
Location
Chicago, Illinois
Completion Date
Area
175.000 ft²
Project Awards

ENR Midwest, Award of Merit: Higher Education/Research and Safety, 2018

michelson
The Michelson Center for Physics at the University of Chicago in Illinois. Thornton Tomasetti
michelson
The Michelson Center for Physics at the University of Chicago in Illinois. Thornton Tomasetti
michelson
The Michelson Center for Physics at the University of Chicago in Illinois. Thornton Tomasetti
michelson
The Michelson Center for Physics at the University of Chicago in Illinois. Thornton Tomasetti

Overview

The adaptive reuse of the Michelson Center for Physics building transformed the existing midcentury modern building into a 21st century research center, through a gut renovation, a new enclosure, and a two-story vertical expansion over an existing structure. The existing two-story concrete structure was expanded by adding two additional stories of steel construction.

We provided structural design services to Perkins Eastman for the renovation, which completed in 2018.

Highlights

  • The existing concrete core walls were extended to provide lateral stability to the new construction.
  • Perimeter beams support new cladding over the entirety of the building.
  • The new seminar room cantilevers off the southeast corner of the building, providing an inspirational meeting space and linking the building with a new campus center in the quad now bounded by other significant campus medical and science facilities.

Capabilities