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This vast glass-and-steel structure, also known as Building #521, was
designed in 1954 by Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill (SOM). This was Bruce
Graham’s first commission with SOM and the first glass curtain wall building
designed by the firm’s Chicago office. Described by the Chicago Tribune’s
architecture critic as a “cathedral of the Cold War,” Building #521’s
blue-green façade conceals a 95,000-square-foot interior that housed
full-scale artillery and battle sets used for military maneuvers. When the
Navy stated its intention to demolish the building in 2006, SOM offered
several reuse options that would respect its ground-breaking design. However, the Navy continues to support demolition even though it has no
definitive plans for the site.
Photo 1,2: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Photos 3-6: Debbie Dodge
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HOW CAN I HELP?
To encourage the preservation of this ground-breaking work of early
Modernist architecture, send a note stating your opposition to the Navy’s
current demolition plans to:
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Rep. Mark Kirk
707 Skokie Boulevard,
Suite 350
Northbrook, IL 60062 |
Sen. Dick Durbin
230 S Dearborn St.
Suite 3892
Chicago, IL 60604 |
Sen. Barack Obama
230 South Dearborn St.
Suite 3900
Chicago, Illinois 60604 |
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