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07-01-26 | News
Some of the most influential and memorable settings on American college campuses are the outdoor spaces that join buildings together and can possibly be a student's first impression. Landscape is a defining aspect of the University of Chicago's identity and its impact on the quality of daily life for students, faculty and staff. The University of Chicago was recognized as a botanic garden by the American Public Garden Association in 1997 and the Julie and Parker Hall Botanic Garden Endowment made it possible for the unnoticed quad to get a makeover.
The project's physical design headed in the direction of a square plaza and the focal point is a custom light feature consisting of a pair of concentric circles with continuous LED lights, supported from four 20-foot poles by catenary cables. The cables gracefully suspend the lights in the air and are hardly noticeable in the evening. The circular light feature is made of laser-cut steel rings. The top ring is 30-foot-diameter, and the lower ring is 15-foot- diameter. Each ring is composed of modular segments bolted together. The rings float (12 and 15 feet) above a 40' square plaza with concentric squares of dark and light pavers, and concrete paving. Seven custom pre-cast concrete benches offer seating.
The light feature is the perfect modern element that completes the connection of the Science Quad surrounded by historic buildings with several different architectural styles. The steel rings create a framing device for the sky as an open-air planetarium and cast precise daytime shadows across the plaza. The continuous LEDs on the underside of the steel rings provide both illumination and drama - a curiosity to be investigated.
The new quadrangle is complimented with regional plant material of year-round interest highlighting both Spring and late Fall, key times on the University's calendar. The plaza is encircled by 9 Redpointe Maples in a planting bed containing a carpet of geraniums and bulbs. The circular planting bed outlines paths that radiate outward from the focal point to less geometric mixed border plant beds with a diverse palette and sodded topography that are gently molded around the plaza providing various points of view.
To see more School & Corporate Campus projects, go to: https://landscapearchitect.com/landscape-articles/sneak-preview-of-the-school-and-campus-issue
For more information about submitting a project, go to: https://landscapearchitect.com/research/editorial/editorial-submissions.php
University of Chicago - Crerar Science Quadrangle
Chicago, Illinois
The Crerar Science Quadrangle connects University of Chicago students, faculty members, and pedestrians to a place to decompress between classes, meet up with friends, eat lunch, or to engage with nature. Imperceptibly, the circles are imbued with the symbolic and mysterious meanings of totality, inclusion, exclusion, equality, eternity, timelessness, the infinite, and wholeness. The cross-cultural symbology has a magical value of protective agency.
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The School & Corporate Campus Issue of Landscape Architect and Specifier News saw many firms submit their projects for feature consideration. Crerar Science Quadrangle is one of several great projects we are excited to showcase on LandscapeArchitect.com.
In the early 1980s, the University of Chicago demolished facilities and grounds work offices to construct the John Crerar Library leaving an odd block long quad without a distinguished feature or purpose to enhance the student experience. The University wanted a functional, eye-catching renovation with a modern feel. The quad needed to enhance the campus image with an emphasis on creation of place, attract people into the space and further spread the appreciation for the University's landscapes.
Some of the most influential and memorable settings on American college campuses are the outdoor spaces that join buildings together and can possibly be a student's first impression. Landscape is a defining aspect of the University of Chicago's identity and its impact on the quality of daily life for students, faculty and staff. The University of Chicago was recognized as a botanic garden by the American Public Garden Association in 1997 and the Julie and Parker Hall Botanic Garden Endowment made it possible for the unnoticed quad to get a makeover.
The project's physical design headed in the direction of a square plaza and the focal point is a custom light feature consisting of a pair of concentric circles with continuous LED lights, supported from four 20-foot poles by catenary cables. The cables gracefully suspend the lights in the air and are hardly noticeable in the evening. The circular light feature is made of laser-cut steel rings. The top ring is 30-foot-diameter, and the lower ring is 15-foot- diameter. Each ring is composed of modular segments bolted together. The rings float (12 and 15 feet) above a 40' square plaza with concentric squares of dark and light pavers, and concrete paving. Seven custom pre-cast concrete benches offer seating.
The light feature is the perfect modern element that completes the connection of the Science Quad surrounded by historic buildings with several different architectural styles. The steel rings create a framing device for the sky as an open-air planetarium and cast precise daytime shadows across the plaza. The continuous LEDs on the underside of the steel rings provide both illumination and drama - a curiosity to be investigated.
The new quadrangle is complimented with regional plant material of year-round interest highlighting both Spring and late Fall, key times on the University's calendar. The plaza is encircled by 9 Redpointe Maples in a planting bed containing a carpet of geraniums and bulbs. The circular planting bed outlines paths that radiate outward from the focal point to less geometric mixed border plant beds with a diverse palette and sodded topography that are gently molded around the plaza providing various points of view.
To see more School & Corporate Campus projects, go to: https://landscapearchitect.com/landscape-articles/sneak-preview-of-the-school-and-campus-issue
For more information about submitting a project, go to: https://landscapearchitect.com/research/editorial/editorial-submissions.php
Filed Under: JUNE 2026, SCHOOL & CORPORATE CAMPUS, CRERAR SCIENCE QUADRANGLE, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, JACOBS/RYAN ASSOCIATES, LASN
