Northwestern's Architectural Tapestry
Exploring the diverse structures that shape learning and discovery across Northwestern University's campuses.
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Evanston Campus
Northwestern's original Evanston campus, situated along the shores of Lake Michigan, hosts the majority of undergraduate programs and several graduate schools. Its architectural landscape is a rich tapestry, reflecting fluctuating finances and evolving design philosophies from Victorian and Gothic Revival to Brutalist and contemporary styles.
Academic Buildings
| Building | Opened | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| University Hall | 1869 | 1897 Sheridan Road | The oldest standing building on campus, housing the English Department. Designed by Gurdon P. Randall in the Victorian Gothic style, it is composed of Joliet limestone. The interior was renovated in 1992 and now hosts the American Studies and Science in Human Culture Programs. |
| Harris Hall | 1915 | 1881 Sheridan Road | Designed by Charles Coolidge in the neoclassical style with ionic columns. It houses the History Department's classrooms and administration. |
| Annie May Swift Hall | 1895 | 1920 Campus Drive | Designed by Charles R. Ayers in a mixture of Venetian Gothic Revival and Romanesque styles. It originally housed the School of Oratory and now hosts the Performance Studies and Radio/Television/Film departments of the School of Communication. |
| Fisk Hall | 1899 | 1845 Sheridan Road | Designed by Daniel H. Burnham in the Romanesque Revival style. It contains the main classrooms for the Medill School of Journalism and the Media Management Program for the Kellogg School of Management. |
| Lunt Hall | 1894 | 2033 Sheridan Road | Designed by William Augustus Otis in the Italian Renaissance style. It originally housed Northwestern's Main academic library and currently contains a mathematics library and the Department of Mathematics. |
| Technological Institute | 1942 | 2145 Sheridan Road | Home to the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science and science departments. Designed by Holabird & Root, it was one of the largest buildings in the US upon completion, funded by Walter Patton Murphy. |
| Kresge Hall | 1955 | 1880 Campus Drive | A multipurpose academic building housing various departments including Asian Languages and Cultures, Art History, and Classics. It is the newest building in the oldest Evanston Campus quad. |
| Crowe Hall | 2003 | 1860 Campus Drive | A later wing adjoining Kresge Hall, housing departments like African American Studies, French and Italian, and Spanish and Portuguese. |
| Swift Hall | 1909 | 2029 Sheridan Road | Designed by George Maher with later art deco additions. It houses the Program in Brain, Behavior, and Cognition, Cognitive Science Program, and the Department of Psychology. |
| Kellogg Global Hub | 2017 | 2211 Campus Drive | A contemporary facility for the Kellogg School of Management, designed by KPMB Architects, featuring a glass facade overlooking Lake Michigan and Chicago's skyline. |
| Donald P. Jacobs Center | 1973 | 2001 Sheridan Road | Previously housed the Kellogg School of Management. Currently undergoing renovation for the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. |
| Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center | 2005 | 2133 Sheridan Road | Designed by Davis Brody Bond, this facility includes classrooms, shops, design studios, and team-centered work areas for engineering students. |
| Walter Annenberg Hall | 1994 | 2120 Campus Drive | Designed by Booth Hansen Associates in a gothic-postmodern style. It is the main building for the School of Education and Social Policy. |
| Frances Searle Building | 1972 | 2240 Campus Drive | A brutalist building on the Lakefill, housing classrooms for the School of Communication. |
| McCormick Foundation Center | 2002 | 1870 Campus Drive | Contains the Medill School of Journalism's Integrated Marketing Communications Program. |
| Scott Hall | 1940 | 601 University Place | A collegiate gothic building by James Gamble Rogers, housing event spaces and the Political Science Department offices. |
| Parkes Hall | 1962 | 1870 Sheridan Road | Adjacent to Alice Millar Chapel, this building houses classrooms and the Religious Studies Department offices. |
| James L. Allen Center | 1972 | 2169 Campus Drive | Previously housed Kellogg School of Management lecture rooms; currently unused. |
| Locy Hall | 1928 | 1850 Campus Drive | Houses various academic classrooms. Previously home to the Department of Earth and Planetary Science. |
| Chambers Hall | 1999 | 600 Foster Street | A facility housing the Northwestern University Transportation Center. |
| Family Institute | [?] | 618 Library Place | Houses the Center for Applied Psychological and Family Studies and the Family Institute. |
Libraries
| Building | Opened | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Deering Library | 1933 | 1937 Sheridan Road | Designed by James Gamble Rogers in the Collegiate Gothic style, modeled after King's College Chapel, Cambridge. Houses the Northwestern University Archives, Music Library, and Art Collection. Undergoing refurbishment. |
| University Library | 1970 | 1970 Campus Drive | Designed by Walter Netsch in the brutalist style. It is the 14th-largest university library in North America and consists of three towers. |
| Seeley G. Mudd Science and Engineering Library | 1977 | 2233 Tech Drive | Northwestern's contemporary library dedicated to science and engineering. Expanded in 2017 with new study amenities. |
Performing Arts
| Building | Opened | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Center for the Musical Arts | 2016 | 70 Arts Circle Drive | Designed by Goettsch Partners, it houses the Bienen School of Music and the School of Communication. Features a glass facade overlooking Lake Michigan and Chicago's skyline. |
| Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art | 1980 | 40 Arts Circle Drive | An art gallery run by the university, reopened in 2000 after a renovation designed by Dirk Lohan. |
| Cahn Auditorium | 1940 | 600 Emerson Street | A 1000-seat auditorium designed by James Gamble Rogers, suitable for various large-scale events. |
| Music Administration Building | 1874 | 711 Elgin Road | Originally the headquarters of the Evanston College for Ladies, later housing the School of Music for over 70 years. Currently unused. |
| Pick-Staiger Concert Hall | 1975 | 50 Arts Circle Drive | Designed by Edward D. Dart, located on the Lakefill. |
| Lutkin Memorial Hall | 1941 | 700 University Place | Designed by James Gamble Rogers in a simplified gothic revival style. Contains a 400-seat auditorium. |
| Regenstein Hall of Music | 1977 | 60 Arts Circle Drive | Designed by Walter Netsch, it is home to a lecture hall, practice facilities, and teaching studios. |
| Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts | 1980 | 1949 Campus Drive; 10-30 Arts Circle Drive | A contemporary building comprising a theater, classrooms, and rehearsal studios. Home to the MFA in Acting program. |
| John J. Louis Hall | 1991 | 1877 Campus Drive | Houses multimedia spaces and classrooms for the Department of Radio/Television/Film and WNUR-FM radio station. |
| Marjorie Ward Marshall Dance Center | 1983 | 10 Arts Circle Drive | A performance venue donated by filmmaker Garry Marshall in honor of his mother. |
| Shanley Hall | 1943 | 2031 Sheridan Road | Originally classrooms for the Navy College Training Program, it has served as a venue for student productions. |
| Music Practice Hall | 1915 | 1823 Sherman Avenue | Original School of Music practice hall, nicknamed "The Beehive." |
| Brentano Hall | [?] | 1818 Hinman Avenue | A converted residential property housing a music academy. |
Science and Research
| Building | Opened | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dearborn Observatory | 1889 | 2131 Tech Drive | Designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, home to a significant refractor telescope. It was moved in 1939 and is still used by the Department of Physics and Astronomy. |
| Hogan Biological Sciences Building | 1967 | 2205 Tech Drive | A brutalist building housing offices and laboratories for various biological sciences programs and institutes. |
| Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Hall | 2006 | 2190 Campus Drive | Designed by Zimmer, Gunsul, and Frasca, this building is for the Center for Nanofabrication and Molecular Self-Assembly. |
| Center for Catalysis and Surface Science | 1984 | 2137 Tech Drive | Houses laboratories for the Center for Intelligent Processing of Composites. |
| Cook Hall | 1992 | 2220 Campus Drive | Named for William A. Cook, it houses Molecular Biosciences, the Keck Biophysics Facility, and departments of Materials Science and Engineering, and Neurobiology and Physiology. |
| The Garage | 2015 | 2311 N Campus Drive | A cross-disciplinary site within a parking garage for students to develop startup companies. |
| Pancoe-NSUHS Life Sciences Pavilion | 2003 | 2200 Campus Drive | A research building including laboratories, offices, a vivarium, and an auditorium. |
| Richard and Barbara Silverman Hall for Molecular Therapeutics and Diagnostics | 2010 | 2170 Campus Drive | A modern facility housing institutes for chemistry, molecular innovation, and a physical science-oncology center. |
| CRESAP Laboratory | 1949 | 2021 Sheridan Road | Originally built to house the Department of Zoology as an adjacent wing of Swift Hall. |
Religious Buildings
| Building | Opened | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary | 1924 | 2121 Sheridan Road | Designed in the gothic revival style, it houses the offices and classrooms of Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. |
| Alice Millar Chapel and Religious Center | 1962 | 1870 Sheridan Road | A gothic revival building with an Aeolian-Skinner organ, stained-glass windows, and a spire. Connected to Parkes Hall. |
| Levere Memorial Temple | 1930 | 1856 Sheridan Road | A Gothic revival temple with stained glass windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany, serving as a war memorial and headquarters for Sigma Alpha Epsilon. |
| Canterbury House | [?] | 2010 Orrington | A converted residential property containing the Episcopal Campus Ministry. |
| Fiedler Hillel Center | 2020 | 629 Foster Street | A modernized building housing Northwestern Hillel, the campus Jewish student organization. |
| Lutheran Center | [?] | 2204 Orrington Ave | A converted residential property containing Northwestern's Lutheran Center. |
| Sheil Catholic Center | [?] | 2110 Sheridan Road | A contemporary building housing Northwestern's Catholic Center. |
| University Christian Ministry | [?] | 1834 Chicago Avenue | A converted residential property housing the administration of the campus University Christian Ministry. |
Athletic Facilities
| Building | Opened | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Field | 1926 | 1501 Central Street | Home of Northwestern Football. Originally designed by James Gamble Rogers. Demolition has begun for a new, modern stadium. |
| Welsh-Ryan Arena | 1952 | 2705 Ashland Avenue | Home to men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, and wrestling. Underwent a major renovation in 2018. |
| Patten Gymnasium | 1940 | 2407 Sheridan Road | Original fitness center, now a golf practice center. Retains original statues "Physical Development" and "Intellectual Development". |
| Walter Athletics Center | 2018 | 2255 Campus Drive | A large indoor, cantilevered football practice field with views of Lake Michigan. Includes strength and conditioning facilities. |
| Henry Crown Sports Pavilion and Norris Aquatic Center | 1987 | 2311 Campus Drive | The largest fitness and recreation center for students. Includes courts, a pool, and the Combe Tennis Center. |
| Blomquist Recreation Center | 1963 | 617 Foster Street | A smaller facility with exercise equipment and multipurpose courts for undergraduate students. |
| Trienens Hall | 1996 | 2707 Ashland Avenue | A fieldhouse with practice courts, adjacent to Welsh-Ryan Arena. Renovated and renamed "Trienens Performance Center". |
| Anderson Hall | 2005 | 2701 Ashland Avenue | Houses athletic offices and academic advising for student athletes. |
| Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium | 2016 | 2235 Campus Drive | Lakefront stadium home to the lacrosse and soccer teams. |
| Byron S. Coon Sports Center | 1963 | 2707 Ashland Avenue | A football practice facility adjacent to Ryan Field. |
| Sailing Center | 2014 | 1823 Campus Drive | A sailing facility overlooking Lake Michigan, open seasonally. |
Administrative & Student Services
| Building | Opened | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norris University Center | 1972 | 1999 Campus Drive | Northwestern's student union, a hub for student activities, dining, and amenities. Designed in the brutalist style. |
| Segal Visitors Center | 2014 | 1841 Sheridan Road | A modern visitors center designed by Perkins&Will, overlooking Lake Michigan, featuring a parking ramp. |
| Rebecca Crown Center | 1968 | 633 Clark Street | Houses administrative offices and The Graduate School. Designed by Walter Netsch. |
| Central Utility Plant | 1964 | 2026 Campus Drive | The main utility plant for the Evanston campus, providing steam for heating. Expanded in 2009. |
| John Evans Alumni Center | 1880 | 1800 Sheridan Road | Originally a Victorian Gothic manor, remodeled into Tudor style. Houses the main alumni relations center. |
| Old Roycemore School Building | 1915 | 640 Lincoln Street | Originally the Roycemore School, designed in Arts and Crafts style. Purchased by Northwestern for potential dormitory or classroom use. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. |
| The Black House | [?] | 1913 Sheridan Road | Houses the Black Student Union (BLU). Designed in the Queen Anne style and renovated for ADA compliance. |
| Multicultural Center | [?] | 1936 Sheridan Road | Houses the Multicultural Center, established in 1999. Designed in a rare symmetrical Victorian style. |
| Women's Center | [?] | 2000 Sheridan Road | Houses the Women's Center, serving women and LGBT+ people. Designed in the Tudor Revival style. |
| Searle Hall Student Health Services Center | 1962 | 633 Emerson Street | A modernist building housing Student Health Services and Counseling and Psychological Services. Renovated in 2010. |
Other Buildings
Additional university-owned properties and facilities, listed alphabetically by address.
| Address | Notes |
|---|---|
| 1808 Chicago Avenue | |
| 1810-12 Chicago Avenue | Department of Anthropology, Department of Sociology |
| 1815 Chicago Avenue | |
| 405 Church Street | College Preparation Program |
| 515 Clark Street | |
| 555 Clark Street | Cook Family Writing Program, Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences Program, Center for the Writing Arts, various student financial offices |
| 619 Clark Street | Various financial offices |
| 625 Colfax Street | |
| 629 Colfax Street | Office of Global Safety and Security |
| 617 Dartmouth Place | Center for Talent Development |
| 627 Dartmouth Place | Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching |
| 630 Dartmouth Place | International Office |
| 1201 Davis Street | Various alumni and development offices, University Police |
| 619 Emerson Street | Holocaust Educational Foundation, Office of Undergraduate Studies and Advising |
| 633 Emerson Street | Student Health Services |
| 618 Garrett Place | Master of Science in Education (MSEd) |
| 625 Haven Street | |
| 617 Haven Street | Naval ROTC |
| 600 Haven Street | New Student and Family Programs (NSFP) |
| 1801 Hinman Avenue | Undergraduate Admissions and Financial Aid, Veterans Office |
| 1810 Hinman Avenue | Department of Anthropology |
| 1812 Hinman Avenue | |
| 1813 Hinman Avenue | Center for Civic Engagement, Center for Leadership, Chicago Field Studies Program (CFS) |
| 1819 Hinman Avenue | Program of Asian American Studies |
| 1835 Hinman Avenue | Dining hall |
| 617 Library Place | Writing Place |
| 618 Library Place | Center for Applied Psychological and Family Studies, The Family Institute |
| 620 Library Place | Program of African Studies, Institute for the Study of Islamic Thought in Africa (ISITA) |
| 626 Library Place | |
| 620 Lincoln Street | Legal Studies Program |
| 630 Lincoln Street | Northwestern Career Advancement and SafeRide |
| 640 Lincoln Street | Art Theory and Practice Department |
| 1801 Maple Avenue | Media Management Center (MMC), NU in Qatar Support Office, Traffic Safety School |
| 616 Noyes Street | Integrated Science Program (ISP) |
| 617 Noyes Street | National High School Institute |
| 625 Noyes Street | |
| 629 Noyes Street | Northwestern University Press |
| 1840 Oak Ave | Osher Lifelong Learning Institute |
| 1603 Orrington Ave | Office of Compliance, Audit and Advisory Service |
| 2020 Ridge Avenue | Various administrative offices |
| 1902 Sheridan Road | Equality Development and Globalization Studies (EDGS), Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Studies, Center for International and Comparative Studies, Center for Technology Innovation Management |
| 1908 Sheridan Road | Office of Undergraduate Studies and Advising |
| 1914 Sheridan Road | African American Student Affairs |
| 1918 Sheridan Road | Dean's Office for the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences |
| 1922 Sheridan Road | Office of Undergraduate Studies and Advising |
| 1936 Sheridan Road | Multicultural Center, Multicultural Student Affairs, University Academic Advisory Center, Asian/Asian American Student Affairs |
| 1940 Sheridan Road | Office of Fellowships & the University Academic Advising Center (UAAC) |
| 2000 Sheridan Road | |
| 2006 Sheridan Road | Statistics Department |
| 2010 Sheridan Road | Programs for Asian Studies, International Studies, International and Area Studies, and Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and the Harvey Kapnick Center for Business Institutions |
| 2016 Sheridan Road | Department of Linguistics |
| 2040 Sheridan Road | Institute for Policy Research |
| 2046 Sheridan Road | |
| 2122 Sheridan Road | Various residential services |
| 1800 Sherman Avenue | Innovation and New Ventures Office (INVO), Art History Department, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Department of German, Global Health Studies Program, Middle East and North African Studies (MENA), Slavic Languages and Literatures |
| 720 University Place | Human Resources Department, Payroll |
Chicago Campus
Located in the Streeterville neighborhood, Northwestern's downtown Chicago campus is home to the Feinberg School of Medicine and the Pritzker School of Law. It features notable academic skyscrapers and historic Gothic Revival structures.
Pritzker School of Law
| Building | Opened | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abbott Hall | 1940 | 710 N. Lake Shore Drive | Houses administrative services for the School of Law. Served as a Naval Reserve Midshipman's School during WWII and operated as a student dormitory post-1945. |
| Levy Mayer Hall | 1927 | 357 E. Chicago Avenue | One of three original James Gamble Rogers buildings in Collegiate Gothic style. Houses the Bluhm Legal Clinic, MSL Program, and Pritzker Legal Research Center. |
| Robert McCormick Hall | 1959 | 350 E. Superior Street | A three-story, L-shaped gothic building named for Colonel McCormick. Houses law classrooms and the Office of Student Services. |
| Arthur Rubloff Building | 1984 | 375 E. Chicago Avenue | A modernist lakefront tower housing the Bluhm Legal Clinic, Office of Admissions, Pritzker Legal Research Center, and Thorne Auditorium. |
Kellogg School of Management
| Building | Opened | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wieboldt Hall | 1926 | 340 E. Superior Street | Designed by James Gamble Rogers in Gothic Revival style. Received Landmark Status from Chicago City Council. Houses Chicago facilities for Kellogg School of Management and School of Continuing Studies. |
Feinberg School of Medicine
Patient Care & Research
| Building | Opened | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ward Memorial Building | 1926 | 303 E. Chicago Avenue | A prominent skyscraper and the first "academic skyscraper" constructed by a university. Named for Aaron Montgomery Ward. Houses medical education facilities and the Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center. |
| Robert H. Lurie Medical Research Center | 2005 | 303 E. Superior Street | A 12-story building with research labs and an auditorium, part of a major donation from the Lurie Foundation. |
| Searle Medical Research Building | 1965 | 320 E. Superior Street | A modernist tower housing departments of Nephrology, Pediatrics, Pharmacology, Neuroscience, and related programs. |
| Morton Medical Research Building | 1955 | 310 E. Superior Street | A Gothic Revival skyscraper with modernist elements. Houses the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) and Department of Physiology. |
| Tarry Building | 1990 | 300 E. Superior Street | A 17-story building with space for basic science, clinical research, teaching, and support services. |
Associated Hospitals
Facilities associated with Northwestern Medicine, but not directly part of the academic campus.
- 225 E. Chicago Avenue, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
- 250 E. Erie Street, Adult Emergency Department
- 251 E. Erie Street, Feinberg Pavilion
- 441 E. Erie Street, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Onterie Center Offices
- 710 N. Fairbanks Court, Walter E. Olson Pavilion
- 211 E. Grand Avenue, Ronald McDonald House
- 201 E. Huron Street, Galter Pavilion
- 345 E. Huron Street, Stone Institute Inpatient Psychiatry Center
- 446 E. Ontario Street, Stone Institute
- 244 E. Pearson Street, Worcester House
- 676 N. St. Clair Street, Arkes Pavilion
- 250 E. Superior Street, Prentice Women's Hospital
- 345 E. Superior Street, Flagship Main Entrance
References
Disclaimer
Important Notice
This page was generated by an Artificial Intelligence and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. The content is based on publicly available data from Wikipedia and may not be entirely accurate, complete, or up-to-date.
This is not professional advice. The information provided on this website is not a substitute for professional architectural consultation, historical research, or university planning advice. Always refer to official university documentation and consult with qualified professionals for specific needs.
The creators of this page are not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for any actions taken based on the information provided herein.