Crown Great Hall. Photo by William Zbaren.

Chicago’s Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies built an amazing structure on historic Michigan Avenue in 2007, all angles of glass and ribs of steel. You might be thinking, ugh, I hate those cold all-glass buildings, and in [...]]]>

Spertus Institute at 610 S. Michigan Ave., Photo by William Zbaren

Crown Great Hall. Photo by William Zbaren.

Chicago’s Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies built an amazing structure on historic Michigan Avenue in 2007, all angles of glass and ribs of steel. You might be thinking, ugh, I hate those cold all-glass buildings, and in the middle of beautiful Michigan Ave., it must be especially gross. It’s not. The amazing structure sits on a small footprint and juts out just a wee bit beyond the adjacent structures. It’s like a ten-story faceted jewel. Architecture writer Cheryl Kent noted that “the building’s crystalline facade fits in superbly, if surprisingly, on a street full of stone and brick landmarks, mostly from the turn of the 19th century.”
The LEED-certified building, designed by Chicago-based Krueck & Sexton Architects, features 726 pieces of glass in 556 shapes. They’re attached to custom-made metal ribs in varying angles to give the unique prism-like front.
On a Spertus architecture tour, (there’s one on Sunday, Jan. 31 at 4 p.m., and another in March) you will get a bottom to top walk-through with a staff expert, learning about the special qualities of the glass, where to stand to get a sky-view north along Michigan Ave., and even the features of the stacking bookshelves in the library.
Tours last about an hour and are $15 for adults, $10 for students, but you must book in advance at www.spertus.edu or call 312.322.1773.   After the tour, plan to spend time looking at the Spertus Museum, as admission is included in the tour fee. The exhibit “What Does It Say to You?” runs through March 14, 2010, with 60 objects and videos of reactions of the objects.

Asher Library. Photo by Laurie BormanSpertus Museum. Photo by Laurie Borman