The twin mast, cable-stayed roof of Baxter Travenol is an iconic landmark in north suburban Chicago. Beyond the main building, a series of pristine office pavilions and parking garages radiate out into a rolling bucolic landscape.
The 1972 design of Baxter was a collaboration between SOM engineer Fazlur Khan and architect Bruce Graham, the legendary team who were also designing the John Hancock Center and the Sears Tower at the same time. While the better-known towers in downtown Chicago achieved new heights, Baxter was an exercise in creating horizontal space.
Baxter, like many other corporate campuses, has been rendered vulnerable by e-commerce, information technology, and the logistics sector. The future of the Baxter campus is uncertain, but its modular flexibility makes it ideal for adaptive reuse.
This virtual presentation, hosted by Docomomo US/Chicago, will take a deep dive into the history and design of the Baxter campus, an exploration of other corporate campuses in Chicago, and an intriguing look at adaptive reuse possibilities for this distinctive building typology.
Presenter: Elizabeth Blasius, architectural historian and cofounder of Preservation Futures
Free for Docomomo US members/$10 nonmembers (join or renew here)
This event is part of Docomomo US Tour Day 2024.
Virtual Lecture: Baxter Travenol & Corporate Campus Architecture
Virtual event
Speakers
Elizabeth Blasius
