Eric Eichler
Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts
189,000 GSF, 12 Stories Construction Cost - $91,000,000 Total Project Cost: $114,000,000 Architect: Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects Construction Manager: Turner Construction Completion: September 2012

The Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts is a 184,000 GSF creative and performing arts center situated on the University of Chicago's Midway Plaisance. Eric Eichler served as senior project manager, leading the project from concept design through completion. The building design features an iconic tower and a podium with sawtooth roof featuring 260 photovoltaic solar panels. The landmark facility brought a majority of the University's undergraduate Arts programs together under one roof. The development footprint of the building and site covered four acres, resulting in a significant new campus landscape in addition to the new building. The Logan Center design and construction were particularly challenging due to the multitude of acoustically sensitive spaces, several of which were stacked vertically in the building's tower, requiring box-in-box construction to achieve proper isolation. The three primary theatrical venues shared a common lobby, which was adjacent to a large wood and metal shop. Acoustic isolation throughout the building presented a challenging problem that required significant coordination between Owner, Architect, Acoustical Consultant, and Contractor to design and build adequately without increasing the project budget. Project highlights include:
474-seat Performance Hall optimized for music, film, and lectures
200-seat Black Box theater
100-seat Proscenium theater
Expansive wood and metal shops for set construction and visual arts
130-seat Film Screening Room
Top floor Performance Penthouse used for events, performances, classes, and rehearsals
2500 SF Cafe
Digital media classrooms
3000 SF Exhibition Gallery
Academic classrooms with smart technology
Project Awards
2017 AIA Institute Honor Award for Architecture
2015 AIANY Architecture Merit Award
2014 AL Light & Architecture Award
2013 ENR Midwest Best Project Award: Higher Education/Research
Project Links University of Chicago Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects AIA 2017 Awards - Architecture
Project Gallery
Photos by Tom Rossiter