Tall & Urban News

A competition open to the general public to re-envision the State of Illinois “Thompson” Center has been launched by the Chicago Architecture Center and the Chicago Architectural Club. The Thompson Center was designed by Helmut Jahn, built in 1984, and recently put up for sale by the State of Illinois.

The 2021 Chicago Prize Competition “seeks to give the building new life through restorative architecture while preserving its architecture and public character.”

The exemplar of post-modern architectural design suffers from deferred maintenance and is at risk of demolition once sold. The building brings together various government offices into one building, and was designed to embody transparency and accessibility in civic life. It is also a major transit hub, and it’s 17-story atrium space creates an open space indoors for the public.

The speculative ideas competition closes 19 July 2021, and the winning design will be announced in August 2021.

For more on this story, go to the Chicago Architecture Club.