By
Andy Brown
Assistant Director, College Communications
World-renowned architect Jeanne Gang made a special visit to the University of Chicago campus on Oct. 10 to provide an overview of her firm’s work with a special focus on the University's highly anticipated John W. Boyer Center in Paris.
The Center, scheduled to open in Autumn 2024, promises to be a groundbreaking hub for ambitious education, research, and collaboration across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. It will offer state-of-the-art classrooms, research facilities, meeting spaces, and public-facing programs that will welcome not only University of Chicago students and faculty, but also a broad range of international scholars and artists.
Known for its innovative and sustainable designs, Studio Gang is the creative force and lead architect of the project.
From a sixth-floor conference room in the David Rubinstein Forum, which provided sweeping views of several Studio Gang projects in both Hyde Park and downtown Chicago, Gang shared insights about the architectural elements that will make the Center in Paris an exceptional addition to the urban and intellectual landscape of Paris.
She noted that the building's design draws inspiration from both historical and contemporary Parisian architecture, blending seamlessly with the existing urban fabric.
"The University of Chicago's John W. Boyer Center in Paris is more than just a building; it's a symbol of academic excellence and international collaboration," Gang said. "We've focused on creating a space that seamlessly integrates into the city while providing a modern, functional environment for learning and research."
The Center, she said, is a vertical campus located among an entire block of buildings built over the top of a commuter rail station. The development has a corner entrance that connects commuters to the trains below, and is currently accessible even while the site is under construction. To account for and counteract the vibrations of the trains, the timber and steel structure of the new building rests on springs that absorb movement.
“Rail is so vital for our connectivity, but it also makes big gashes in a city,” Gang said. “What I really love about Paris is the way that the city bridges over these pieces of infrastructure to connect to neighborhoods within and around it.”
Gang added that a primary goal in designing the project was finding similarities between Chicago and Paris and to position the new Center as a connecting thread. Some elements include both cities’ frequent use of local limestone, as well as urban green space. The façade of the new Center, for instance, will be composed of cylindrical batons of Lutetian limestone, which has been a popular local building in Paris material since antiquity.
The sustainable design of the Center is another highlight. Gang and her team have incorporated innovative green building practices, ensuring that the structure aligns with the ambitious environmental standards shared by the University and the City of Paris.
The countdown to the grand opening next year has officially begun, and it promises to be an exciting moment for the University and the global academic community.