STUKEL TOWERS AND FORUM
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO
 

The Stukel Towers and Forum at the University of Illinois Chicago encourage more students to live and study on campus, provide venues that attract both the student and external community, and establish a new identity and image for both the University’s South Campus and the surrounding neighborhood. The project includes 750 student residences; dining; a 3,000-seat convocation center (Forum); and retail. 

The greatest challenge presented by the project was integrating student residences, retail, meeting, convocation facilities, and dining within a compact, multi-block site. Through building orientation, massing, use of daylight, and multi-level gardens the design successfully integrates uses to satisfy multiple constituents, while bringing new life to the South Campus and the surrounding community.

The Forum is public in nature and is placed to the north, as an east campus gateway. Locally sourced masonry and glass respond to the historic Halsted neighborhood to the east and the Chicago Loop to the north. The design permits no on-site parking, only pedestrian and bicycles. Extensive use of operable windows, intelligent HVAC, and large in-ground cisterns irrigate site and roof plantings. All contribute to carbon, energy, and water-use reductions for the university. The architectural expression reflects student life and academic enrichment in an urban campus setting. The development is designed to meet LEED Silver standards. 

Photographs by James Steinkamp Photography for HOK 

Design Principal
Todd Halamka

Architect
HOK

Awards
American Institute of Architects Honor Award