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TechnographSpertus Institute of Jewish Studies to open new $55 million building
By The Associated Press
Posted: 11/26/07 Section: Diversions
CHICAGO (AP) - The buildings are located next door to each other on Michigan Avenue, and both have housed the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies, but that's where the similarities end.
The institute's old home was a drab, clunky, nearly 100-year-old office building with small rectangular windows.
The institute's new home, opening to the public Nov. 30, is a stunning, $55 million facility that features as its facade a 10-story, faceted wall of windows overlooking Grant Park.
Spertus officials believe its dramatic yet accessible appearance will help draw new visitors of all ages and backgrounds inside its doors, and reacquaint previous visitors with the cultural and educational opportunities the institute has to offer.
Spertus includes under its umbrella a museum with a 15,000-piece collection of art and artifacts related to the Jewish experience; a library open to the public; and a graduate college offering programs in such areas as Jewish studies and nonprofit management.
"I think we've been a hidden gem. Now we're going to be a gem, but not be hidden any more," said Betsy Gomberg, Spertus' director of institutional outreach.
Spertus has its roots in the College of Jewish Studies, founded in Chicago in 1924. The institute operated out of several locations over the decades, settling in 1974 into a former IBM building originally built in 1911.
By about 10 years ago, that spot no longer met Spertus' space requirements or need for modern technological resources.
While Spertus evaluated more than 40 locations in the city when considering where to build its new location, Gomberg said, it ended up right next door. The old IBM building has been sold to Columbia College Chicago.
Chicago-based Krueck + Sexton Architects was chosen in 2003 to design the 155,000-square-foot facility. The unique facade, and the way it brings natural light into the building, acknowledges the role of light in the religious and intellectual traditions of Judaism.
The institute's old home was a drab, clunky, nearly 100-year-old office building with small rectangular windows.
The institute's new home, opening to the public Nov. 30, is a stunning, $55 million facility that features as its facade a 10-story, faceted wall of windows overlooking Grant Park.
Spertus officials believe its dramatic yet accessible appearance will help draw new visitors of all ages and backgrounds inside its doors, and reacquaint previous visitors with the cultural and educational opportunities the institute has to offer.
Spertus includes under its umbrella a museum with a 15,000-piece collection of art and artifacts related to the Jewish experience; a library open to the public; and a graduate college offering programs in such areas as Jewish studies and nonprofit management.
"I think we've been a hidden gem. Now we're going to be a gem, but not be hidden any more," said Betsy Gomberg, Spertus' director of institutional outreach.
Spertus has its roots in the College of Jewish Studies, founded in Chicago in 1924. The institute operated out of several locations over the decades, settling in 1974 into a former IBM building originally built in 1911.
By about 10 years ago, that spot no longer met Spertus' space requirements or need for modern technological resources.
While Spertus evaluated more than 40 locations in the city when considering where to build its new location, Gomberg said, it ended up right next door. The old IBM building has been sold to Columbia College Chicago.
Chicago-based Krueck + Sexton Architects was chosen in 2003 to design the 155,000-square-foot facility. The unique facade, and the way it brings natural light into the building, acknowledges the role of light in the religious and intellectual traditions of Judaism.
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