2021 CHICAGO PRIZE: JAMES R. THOMPSON CENTER

COMPETITION INFORMATION
For the 2021 Chicago Prize, the Chicago Architecture Center and the Chicago Architectural Club call for new visions for the State of Illinois Center/James R. Thompson Center.

Designed by Helmut Jahn, the State of Illinois Center, also known as James R. Thompson Center, is facing the threat of complete demolition. Located in the Chicago “Loop” it is a major transportation node, commercial center and workspace. The building has been criticized for being ugly, oversized, inefficient, and poorly maintained. However, the Thompson Center has been pivotal to urban transit and a highly democratic contemporary civic center. At the time of its construction in 1985, Helmut Jahn’s State of Illinois Center was a stark contrast to Chicago’s historic and modernist architecture, yet today it is an architectural icon in its own right. For the fourth year in a row, the Thompson Center has been listed in the Landmarks Illinois’ annual Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois and it was included in Preservation Chicago’s Chicago 7 Most Endangered list in 2018, 2019, and 2020. The Chicago Architectural Club and the Chicago Architecture Center ask the 2021 Chicago Prize participants to envision a new life for the building through restorative architecture.

INTRODUCTION: THOMPSON CENTER
Built in 1985, the State of Illinois Center/James R. Thompson Center resulted from the collaboration of Murphy/Jahn and Lester B. Knight & Associates and was commissioned by the State of Illinois and Governor James R. Thompson (1936 – 2020). The building is located in the Chicago “Loop” on a site delimited by Lake Street to the north, Randolph Street to the south, Clark Street to the east, and LaSalle Street to the west. The Thompson Center’s design aims to express its civic function as a government building. It’s height and scale relate to the neighboring Chicago City Hall/Cook County Building, it is connected to several subway and elevated CTA lines, and the original scheme included energy considerations. The north and west elevations follow the street, while a curved stepped glass curtain-wall facade breaks the rigidity of the city’s grid on the south-east corner, opening up an outdoor plaza and defining the main entrance to the building’s central space, the atrium. Public art is displayed in the plaza and free standing columns articulate the transition from the exterior to the interior through a covered colonnade. The building’s facades are almost completed made of glass and feature a combination of transparent and reflective panels.

Inside the building the atrium is revealed: a breathtaking 17-story high public space covered by a slanted skylight 160 feet across. The circular atrium space is a contemporary interpretation of the rotunda, a classic architectural shape historically used for civic and public buildings. “Ringed at the lower levels by shops and restaurants, and on the upper tiers by state offices, this space is what the building is really about. […] Here, a very elegant and spidery structure enfolds the void and becomes the matrix on which everything is hung. Layers of office floor trays encircle the atrium, and the mechanics of getting up and down are celebrated. Seemingly freestanding elevator banks and articulated suspended stairways lend an air of kinetic sculpture, an impression compounded almost to limitless degrees by the kaleidoscopic reflective spandrel rings. These segmented bands turn the reflections of moving people into everchanging Duchamp paintings. The views, whether from top, middle, or ground floor are spectacular and endlessly changing.” (Murphy J., 1985)

With this building Helmut Jahn proposes a new type of civic space open to the public. The floor plan’s “open office” concept and the use of glass symbolically express the idea of an accessible and transparent government. Despite its high tech aesthetics, the human is at the center of the Thompson Center’s design. “It is intended that it provide a humane, stimulating environment, thus reestablishing the “social role of architecture.” (Murphy J., 1985)

COMPETITION BRIEF
The architecture of Chicago is defined by its many layers of innovative architecture that have occurred throughout its history–the preservation, rethinking, repurposing and renewal of its most important buildings is critical to carry on the city’s long-standing reputation as a center of architectural innovation.

The Thompson Center’s design was progressive for its time. Dwelling in the vertical shadows of modern icons like Mies van der Rohe’s Daley Center, Helmut Jahn’s mid- rise Thompson Center pierced the trends of neighboring International Style and Neoclassical buildings with a revolutionary concept for a civic building, one that represents a promising future of “transparency and accessibility”. Bringing together the various services of government offices in one building, the Thompson Center is also a major transit hub and a place for gathering to enjoy art, shop, and dine. Jahn brings open space indoors with the remarkable glazed 17-story grand atrium. Known as a “people’s center” or a “people’s palace”, the building was a symbol of government accessibility, transparency, and commitment to serving the people. This was a bold departure from how government buildings used to interface with the public.

With modern materials adorning the slight colorful twists of the patriotic red, white and blue, and a building shape referencing the grand domes of the government structures in our state’s capitol, Jahn’s postmodern marvel has been recognized worldwide in both praise and criticism. Often mistaken for a stadium or perhaps a spaceship, since its construction, the James R. Thompson Center has generated contrasting feelings: it has been praised for its progressive architecture, and criticized for being oversized, inefficient, and costly to operate. Deferred maintenance and the lack of long-term reinvestment has taken a toll on the building through worn surfaces and failing systems. Helmut Jahn’s original design specified the use of double pane glazing for the building’s facades, which was later substituted with single pane glazing due to cost considerations. This resulted in overheated offices in the summer and severe condensation/ice buildup in winter. Additional cooling towers were later installed to regulate these drastic conditions, which have proven costly to maintain and operate. It is reported that the building’s energy usage is double that of similar downtown structures.

In 2015 former Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner announced his interest in the sale or demolition of the Thompson Center. Located in Chicago’s Central Business District and having exceptional access to transit, the property is expected to command top dollar if sold to a developer. In 2019, Illinois Democratic Governor Jay Robert Pritzker signed a bill to begin its sale. In May of 2021, just days before Jahn’s passing, Governor Pritzker issued the RFP for the Thompson Center.
“Governor Pritzker has the opportunity, after years of neglect by his predecessors, to lead thru the sale of the Thompson Center by giving it new life. Repurposing the building the right way could go beyond what the building ever was, making it better, more public, and a place where you want to work, stay overnight, live or just visit and feel good. Miracles and dreams can become real.” (Helmut Jahn, 2020)

The Thompson Center has been pivotal to Chicago as a transit hub, a revolutionary civic center that opened itself to the city, and an architectural milestone that symbolized a bold transition and looked toward a new future of architecture. Can our approach to renewal be one that doesn’t result in erasure but that builds upon the foundations of the past?

For the 2021 Chicago Prize, the Chicago Architectural Club and the Chicago Architecture Center are calling for new, creative visions for the State of Illinois Center to give it new life while preserving its architecture and public character.

SITE
• J.R. Thompson Center is located at 100 West Randolph Street.
• Site is 2.9 acres and free of alleys.
• Directly links to the city’s busiest CTA station, served by six train lines, and to the Chicago Pedway System, a network of underground pedestrian pathways connecting many downtown buildings and transit stations.
• Located across the street from City Hall.

PROGRAM
This is a speculative ideas competition for preserving J.R. Thompson Center through architectural interventions that repurpose the building through rehabilitation. There is not a set program for this competition; your definition of the program is part of the design problem. Submissions will be assessed on the identification of the issues and the design proposal’s efficacy in addressing these issues.

SCHEDULE
Competition Announcement: May 21
Competition Information: June 7
Jury Announcement: Coming Soon
Questions Period Deadline: June 25
Early Registration Closes: June 25
Regular Registration Closes: July 2
Competition Submission Deadline: July 19 at 5pm CST
Jury Deliberation: Late July
Winners Announced: August
Chicago Architecture Center Exhibition: Early Fall

AWARDS
First Place: $1,500
Second Place: $1,000
Third Place: $500

FEES
Early Registration Fee: $75 ($30 Students)
Regular Registration Fee: $90 ($50 Students)

*Students (please submit pdf copy of valid 2020-21 Student ID)

REGISTRATION
To register for the competition go to the website http://chicagoarchitecturalclub.org, follow the payment instructions, and send an email to [email protected] with the contact information for the entrant or designated team leader. Supplied Materials will be emailed to team leader. Confirmation of the registration along with a random 5-digit registration number will be emailed to the registrant (individual or the team leader) for identification of the final submission. One registration is required per project submitted. Participants may submit multiple entries or be part of multiple teams, but each submission must have an individual registration number.

If you encounter any issues with registration or payment please email, [email protected]

Registration fees are non-refundable. Fees will not be returned under any circumstances. By registering for the competition, competitors agree to all competition terms and conditions.

ELIGIBILITY
The 2021 Chicago Prize Competition is open to anyone with a vision for Helmut Jahn’s State of Illinois Center/James R. Thompson Center including students, architects, designers, planners, and artists.
Members of the Board of Directors of the Chicago Architectural Club, staff and members of the jury or their families, or those involved with the preparation or funding of this competition may not participate. This competition is to be conducted solely via this website. The official language of the competition is English. All drawings and architectural scales should be expressed in feet and inches.

SUPPLIED MATERIALS
DWG files of Thompson Center.
Scanned original working drawings.
Photos of building.
Digital Model of Chicago Loop around Thompson Center.

ANONYMITY & OWNERSHIP
The 2021 Chicago Prize is an anonymous competition. No names of team members shall appear on graphic material or in file names. The unique 5-digit registration number is the only means of identification. All material received by the competition organizers becomes their property, including reproduction rights. The intellectual property rights for each submission remain with the author(s) of the submission. The Chicago Architectural Club and Chicago Architecture Center reserves the right to publish, exhibit, or present the work submitted to this competition in any format.

SUBMISSIONS
Submissions are due at 5pm U.S. Central Time on July 19, 2021. Submissions are electronic and submitted via email only. The following materials should be submitted:

1. A maximum of four 11 inch x 17 inch boards (tabloid) oriented in portrait format. Each board must include the 5-digit assigned registration number in the lower right hand corner. Boards must be combined into a single four-page document and submitted in PDF format. The file should be named with the 5-digit registration number- “12345. pdf.”

2. A written statement of no more than 250 words explaining your ideas. The file should be named “Statement_12345.doc.” This file must be a .txt, .doc, or .rtf file, NOT a .pdf.

3. A single page document with team identification and contact information. Include: Project title, names of team members, leader’s telephone number, and email address. The file should be named “ID_12345.doc.” This file must be a .txt, .doc, or .rtf file, NOT a .pdf. The source of any third party materials incorporated in the entry must also be included; this source information may exceed one page if necessary.

All three files must be then saved in a single ZIP file named with the 5-digit registration number “12345.zip.” This zipped file should not exceed 5MB. The single ZIP file should be sent via email to: [email protected]. The email subject line should read “Registration Number_12345.” Upon announcement of the winners, higher resolution images may be requested from winning submissions and selected entries.

Upon jury decision, shortlisted entries will be contacted to submit posters and may be asked to submit coordination drawings/digital models for a physical model in the subsequent exhibition at the Chicago Architecture Center. Posters and model drawings will be submitted digitally.

QUESTIONS
Questions regarding the competition will be accepted until June 15, 2021. Questions should be emailed to: [email protected]. Answers will be posted on the Chicago Architectural Club’s website.

REFERENCES
1. Carodine, Victoria. “Jahn’s Alternative to the Demolition of Its Thompson Center.” Architect. January 2017.
2. Eddy, Nathan. “Starship Chicago.” Vimeo. 2018.
3. Hickman, Matt. “Helmut Jahn pitches proposal to save Chicago’s Thompson Center” The Architect’s Newspaper, February 2020.
4. Murphy, Jim. “2000 and Beyond. The new State of Illinois Center: infamous, a noble effort, or both?.” Progressive Architecture. December 1985.
5. Ori, Ryan. “Architect Helmut Jahn leaves behind two big Chicago projects with uncertain outcomes after death in cycling accident.” May 2021
6. Ori, Ryan. “It’s official: The Thompson Center is up for sale.” Chicago Tribune. May 2021

WEBSITES TO REFERENCE
• https://www.jahn-us.com/
• https://preservationchicago.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Thompson-Center-2020-Chicago-7-Write-Up-Final.pdf

The full competition brief can be found at the following LINK

Register at the following LINK