Pritzker Military Library

Interior Architecture Award Submission

Located in a historic building across the street from Millennium Park and the Art Institute of Chicago, the Pritzker Military Library provides the public with live events, a collection of books,articfacts, films and gallery exhibits that tell the story of the Citizen Soldier in American Military History.
The design objectives included:
• Integrating the library’s 50,000 books, artifacts, periodicals, videos, posters, correspondence and over 9,000 rare military photographs into a thoughtful design, rich in refined detail and craft appropriate for the historic fabric of the building.
• accommodating an intuitive spatial flow and circulation, as required by the diverse mix of events, exhibits, and interactions with the collection by adding an elegantly detailed three-story interconnecting stairway.
• incorporating state-of-the-art technology throughout the library supporting the recording of military visitor’s oral histories; the care and preservation of rare books and artifacts; and the recording and broadcasting of live presentations within the 120- seat, two-story lecture hall.
• Addressing the lecture hall’s acoustical challenges resulting from close proximity to the “L” and Michigan Avenue traffic.
Within a dramatic backdrop and views, the project captures the essence of the story of the Citizen Soldier while addressing the aesthetic and technical challenges.

Architect

tvsdesign

Client

Pritzker Military Library

General contractor

Bulley & Andrews LLC

Location

Chicago, Illinois

Category

Miscellaneous