SUMMARY

Expansion and renovation of architecture library located in historic Crown Hall, the home of the college of architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Houses all collections and media services for the college. Project consisted of expanding the existing library in to adjacent classroom spaces to accommodate growing enrollments and associated print/ media allocations.

Project uses a radiant panel cooling system, the first of its kind to be installed commercially in the U.S., in the form of 14 rectangular "clouds" that are suspended just below the structural concrete slab. This highly efficient system provides all of the necessary cooling for the space. Lighting fixtures are hung below each cloud, shining upwards to provide even illumination throughout the space. The clouds also act as acoustical dampeners for noise control.