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The Jury
George Nikolajevich, FAIA
Cannon Design
St. Louis, Missouri
Rafael Pelli, AIA
Cesar Pelli & Associates
New York, New York
Jane Weinzapfel, FAIA
Leers Weinzapfel Associates
Boston, Massachusetts



Copernicus Center



Location
Chicago, IL
Architect
Harding Associates
Client/Owner
Department of General Services, City of Chicago
Consultant(s)
Environmental Systems Design Inc.
Photographer
Scott McDonald © Hedrich Blessing

"This is a good little civic building," commented a juror. "It has certainly made a new presence on the streetscape," said another. The two-room addition of just 3,900 square feet creates interiors that feel like outdoor spaces, with generous natural light pouring in from clerestories above simple masonry walls. At night, indirect lighting reflected off the ceiling creates a community beacon. The facility has been such a success with the low-income seniors for whom it was designed that they line up outside each morning before it opens.