The University of Chicago has approved a preliminary design by New York architecture firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro for a facility devoted to hosting talks and events.
The David M Rubenstein Forum will provide the institution with 90,000 square feet (8,360 square metres) of meeting and event spaces, described as a "hub for convening and scholarly collaboration".
The building will be located at the southeast corner of Woodlawn Avenue and 60th Street on the university's campus, a few miles south of the downtown area.
Diller Scofidio + Renfro's design includes a two-storey base and a 165-foot (50-metre) tower, made up of a series of irregularly stacked boxes.
On the ground floor, entrances to the north and south will provide access to the main lobby. This leads to an area for informal interactions, a restaurant and the building's largest meeting space ? tentatively named the University Room.
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Raised a level up and articulated as its own volume, this venue for large lectures, panel discussion or seated dinners will accommodate up to 600 people.
"The lower floors of the Rubenstein Forum are porous and dynamic with connections to the campus and the community in all directions," said studio co-founder Elizabeth Diller.
Two other areas are highlighted in a similar way ? housed in boxes offset from the main structure and clad in a different material.
They include a 285-...