List of Northwestern University buildings

Charles Deering Library

The Charles Deering Library is a library located on the main Evanston campus of Northwestern University. The Deering Library presently houses the Government Publications Department and the Northwestern University Archives on the first floor, the Music Library on the second floor, and the Map Collection, the Art Reference Collection and the Special Collections Department on the third floor. The Deering Library served as Northwestern's main library until the completion of the University Library in 1970.

Seeley G. Mudd Science and Engineering Library

The Seeley G. Mudd Science and Engineering Library

University Library

The Northwestern University Library is the principal library for the Evanston campus of Northwestern University. The library holds 4.6 million volumes, making it the 11th largest library at a private university. The building was designed in brutalist style by Walter Netsch of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. Construction started in 1966 and the library opened in 1970. The library succeeded the Charles Deering Library as the main library on campus. The Deering Library was connected to the main library through construction, and continues to house the University's special collections. Until the building's completion in 1970, the Deering Library, now connected to the University Library, served as the primary library for the Evanston campus.

Dearborn Observatory

The Dearborn Observatory is an observatory, located on the Evanston campus of Northwestern University. The observatory was originally constructed in 1888. In the summer of 1939, Dearborn Observatory had to be moved to make way for the construction of the Technological Institute.

Technological Institute

The Technological Institute, more commonly known as "Tech", is a landmark building at Northwestern University. Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science following a major gift from the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. It is the main building for students and faculty in the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science. The construction of the building started in 1939 when Walter P. Murphy, a wealthy inventor of railroad equipment, donated $6.737 million. Murphy meant for the Institute to offer a new kind of “cooperative” educational model for the field, where academic courses and practical application in industrial settings were closely integrated. When the construction of Tech was completed in 1942, Northwestern received an additional bequest of $28 million from Walter P. Murphy's estate to provide for an engineering school "second to none."

To make room for the new building, the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house and the Dearborn Observatory were moved, and the original Patten Gymnasium was demolished. Ground was broken for the new building on April 1, 1940 and the building was dedicated on June 15–16, 1942. The building was designed by the architectural firm of Holabird & Root in the shape of two letter E's, placed back to back and joined by a central structure. When it was built it was the largest building on Northwestern's Evanston campus.

In 1961, construction began on two new wings, which were added to the eastern ends of the building, along with additions to the library and physics wing. The expansion, dedicated in October 1963, was prompted by a $3.4 million contract awarded by the Advanced Research Agency of the Department of Defense. In 1973, a new entrance terrace was dedicated, and in 1999, a ten-year, $125 million renovation of the Technological institute was completed. This renovation, undertaken by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, included extensive reconstruction of the interior of the original 1940 structure, replacing the mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems, and reconfiguring the laboratory and research space.

Additional buildings have been constructed around the original Technological Institute, connected together by pedestrian bridges to create what has been called the "Technological Campus". Among them are the Seeley G. Mudd Library for Science and Engineering opened in 1977, the Center for Catalysis and Surface Science in 1986, and Cook Hall in 1989. More recent additions to the "Technological Campus" include Hogan Hall, the Pancoe Life Sciences Pavilion, the Center for Nanofabrication, and the Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center.

University Hall

University Hall is the oldest original building on the Northwestern University campus. University Hall was actually the second building constructed on the Northwestern University campus. The building known as "Old College" was constructed as a temporary building in 1855, though it stood on campus until the 1970s. University Hall was designed in Victorian Gothic style by G. P. Randall, and is composed of Joliet limestone - the same kind used to build the Chicago Water Tower. The construction materials were transported to the Evanston campus by lake boat and rail.

The cornerstone of the building was laid in 1868, and the structure was completed in 1869, at a total cost of $125,000. University Hall officially opened on September 8, 1869 and coincided with the inauguration of University President Erastus Otis Haven. Speakers at the opening ceremony included Illinois Governor John M. Palmer, and the new University President Haven, who called the structure, "the new and elegant University Building". The clock in the tower of University Hall was the gift of the Class of 1879; its movement was built by clockmaker Seth Thomas. In 1966, a new electrified clock replaced the old works, which are now located in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

University Hall took over most university functions from Old College and contained classrooms housing all University classes, the library, a chemical lab, a chapel, two society rooms and a fourth-floor natural history museum. University Hall contained Northwestern's primary library until the construction of Lunt Library in the 1890s. Though it was succeeded by Fayerweather Hall as the university's main building in 1887, University Hall served a variety of functions. Over the years University Hall has been the home of the central administration, the engineering school, a cafeteria, and faculty offices. University Hall underwent a $5.2 million renovation and was rededicated in 1993. The building is currently home to Northwestern's English department.

Alice Millar Chapel

The Alice S. Millar Chapel and Religious Center was funded by Foster and Mary G. McGaw, and was named in honor of Mr. McGaw’s mother, Alice S. Millar McGaw. The chapel was designed by Jensen and Halstead of Chicago. It is home to a 100-rank Aeolian-Skinner organ, stained-glass windows, and a 151-foot (46 m) spire.

Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary

The Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

Levere Memorial Temple

The Levere Memorial Temple, headquarters of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity.

Seabury-Western Theological Seminary

The Seabury-Western Theological Seminary.

Blomquist Recreation Center

The Blomquist Recreation Center.

Boat House

The Boat House

Byron S. Coon Sports Center

The Byron S. Coon Sports Center.

Henry Crown Sports Pavilion/Norris Aquatic Center

The Dellora A. and Lester J. Norris Aquatics Center and Henry Crown Sports Pavilion, commonly known as SPAC, is the main athletic and recreational building on campus. Among SPAC's facilities are an Olympic-size swimming and diving pool, and courts that can be used for basketball, volleyball, and various racquet sports.

In Spring 2002, construction was completed on an addition to SPAC, the Combe Tennis Center. The Combe Tennis Center houses six indoor tennis courts, and was designed by Pollock Holzrichter Nicholas Ltd. of Chicago, in association with the Renaissance Design Group. The center was named for the late Ivan Combe, a 1933 graduate and life trustee of the University.

Lakeside Fields

Lakeside Fields.

Nicolet Football Center

The Nicolet Football Center.

Patten Gymnasium

Patten Gymnasium is a 5,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Evanston, Illinois. The original arena, designed by George Washington Maher, opened in 1910 and was home to the Northwestern University Wildcats basketball team until 1940, when it was demolished and rebuilt farther north to make room for the construction of the Technological Institute. It was used for twelve years before Welsh-Ryan Arena opened in 1952. The current, ivy-lined building has the original doors and statues from the old gym. It currently is the home to the women's fencing team, and occasionally hosts small concerts. It is named for James A. Patten, former Evanston mayor, philanthropist, commodities broker, and NU board of trustees president.

The original 1,000-seat arena hosted the first NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship game in 1939.

Rocky Miller Park

Rocky Miller Park

Ryan Field

Ryan Field is a stadium in Evanston, Illinois, United States. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the Northwestern University Wildcats football team. Ryan Field opened in 1926 and holds 49,256 people. The field is named after Patrick Ryan who was the chairman of the school's board of trustees. Prior to 1997, the stadium was named Dyche Stadium, for William A. Dyche, Class of 1882, former Evanston mayor and overseer of the building project.

The stadium originally consisted of two semi-circular grandstands on either sideline, with the west (home) sideline having a small, curved upper deck ending at twin concrete . Endzone seating was later added in the south endzone, and in 1952 McGaw Memorial Hall was built in the north endzone.

Besides boasting modern amenities such as a new workout room, it is said that the reason the stands were built five feet up was to prevent Northwestern students from rushing the field and destroying goalposts. Such occurrences were common when the field was still known as Dyche Stadium and Northwestern had upset victories over storied programs such as the University of Michigan in 1995. However, a stunning upset in 1996 over Michigan did not prevent students from clinging to the goalposts, nor did the walls prevent it again in 2005 after a double-overtime upset of then-#6 Ohio State University. The stadium had an artificial turf surface from 1973 to 1996.

The Chicago Bears hosted their first home game of the 1970 season as an experiment due to the NFL demanding the Bears move out of Wrigley Field because the seating capacity was under 50,000. The Bears ended up moving to Soldier Field.

The closest transit stations are Metra commuter railroad's Central Street station and Chicago Transit Authority's Central station on the Purple Line.

Parts of the The Express, a 2008 film about Ernie Davis starring Dennis Quaid, were filmed at Ryan Field.

McGaw Memorial Hall/Shirley Welsh-Ryan Arena

The McGaw Memorial Hall/Shirley Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Trienens Hall

Trienens Hall.

Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art

The Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art is an art museum located on the campus of the Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. The current director is David Alan Robertson.

Cahn Auditorium

Cahn Auditorium is an auditorium utilized for various performances and productions throughout the school year. With over 1,000 seats and an orchestra pit, it is the highest-capacity performance space on campus. The annual Waa-Mu Show, one of the best-known college productions in the country, is staged here. The auditorium was named for Bertram Cahn, a former civic leader, businessman, donor, trustee, and alumnus.

Lutkin Memorial Hall

Lutkin Memorial Hall is a 400-seat auditorium, and is currently primarily used for student recitals. The stage is paneled in carved oak, and the building is in the simplified Gothic style. The building is named in honor of Peter Christian Lutkin, who served as dean of the School of Music from 1883 to 1931.

Marjorie Ward Marshall Dance Center

The Marjorie Ward Marshall Dance Center.

Pick-Staiger Concert Hall

Pick-Staiger Concert Hall is used for various musical performances at Northwestern. Albert Pick Jr. and Charles G. Staiger funded the project. The hall was named for Corinne Frada Pick, Pick’s wife, and Pauline Pick Staiger, his sister and Staiger’s late wife. The building was constructed mostly from precast concrete and glass. The auditorium has a sound-reflecting system of 30 plastic dishes to enhance the acoustics of the room.

Regenstein Hall of Music

The Regenstein Hall of Music was funded by the Joseph and Helen Regenstein Foundation of Chicago. It is home to a 200-seat master-class lecture hall, musical practice facilities, and teaching studios.

Theatre and Interpretation Center

The Theatre and Interpretation Center exists as an operational and administrative component of the School of Communication with the specific charge of producing, managing, funding and administering the performing arts productions of the School of Communication, Department of Theatre and Department of Performance Studies, including programmatic responsibility for theatre, music theatre and dance. The Center adheres to and reflects the academic mission of the University, the curricular needs of the Theatre and Performance Studies departments, the educational priorities of Communication students and exists in service to the campus and the greater community of the Metropolitan Chicago area.

Each year, as many as forty productions are mounted in the Theatre and Interpretation Center. Of those forty, approximately eight are main stage productions staged in the Ethel M. Barber Theater and the Josephine Louis Theater and are directed by faculty, third-year MFA directing students, and guest artists. These productions include both classic and contemporary plays, dance performances and musical productions. In addition, the Theatre and Interpretation Center produces the annual Waa-Mu Show, an original student written and performed musical and also the Summerfest which includes a two to three play series that is performed during the summer.

The center offers subscriptions for the entire season as well as for Summerfest. Currently there are over fifteen hundred subscribers who buy the season package. These patrons come from the University population as well as the neighboring communities.

Central Utility Plant

The Central Utility Plant.

John Evans Alumni Center

The John Evans Alumni Center.

Norris University Center

The Norris University Center.

Shakespeare Garden

The Shakespeare Garden.

Allison Hall

Allison Hall

Andersen Hall

Anderson Hall

Walter Annenberg Hall

Walter Annenberg Hall is home to the School of Education and Social Policy. Named in honor of publisher, broadcaster, diplomat, and philanthropist Walter Annenberg, the building was designed by Booth Hansen Associates. Clad in limestone and precast concrete panels, its exterior features were planned as a transition from the Gothic design of some adjacent buildings to the modern design of others. It houses classrooms equipped with the latest audiovisual and computer technologies.

Annie May Swift Hall

Annie May Swift Hall, and an article about renovations to Annie May Swift Hall Northwestern Magazine

Ayers College of Commerce & Industry

The Ayers College of Commerce & Industry

Brentano Hall

The Brentano Hall

Canterbury House

The Canterbury House.

Catalysis Center

The Catalysis Center.

Chambers Hall

Chambers Hall.

Chase Building

The Chase Building.

College of Cultural & Community Studies

The College of Cultural & Community Studies.

Cook Hall

Cook Hall, named for William A. "Bill" Cook and his wife Gayle.

CRESAP Laboratory

The CRESAP Laboratory.

Crowe Hall

Crowe Hall.

Deering Meadow

Deering Meadow.

Donald P. Jacobs Center

The Donald P. Jacobs Center.

Engelhart Hall

Engelhart Hall.

Evans Scholars Foundation House

The Evans Scholars House.

The Family Institute at Northwestern University

The Family Institute.

Fisk Hall

Initially housing Northwestern's preparatory school, which closed in 1917, Fisk Hall was named for the school's principal, Herbert F. Fisk, at the request of donor William Deering.

Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center

The Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center

The Foster-Walker Complex

The Foster-Walker Complex.

Frances Searle Building

The Frances Searle Building.

Harris Hall

Harris Hall.

Hogan Building

The Hogan Building.

The Illinois Technology Enterprise Center

The Illinois Technology Enterprise Center.

James L. Allen Center

The James L. Allen Center.

John J. Louis Hall

The John J. Louis Hall.

Kresge Hall

Kresge Hall.

Lindgren Hall

Lindgren Hall.

Locy Hall

Locy Hall.

Lunt Hall

Lunt Hall.

McManus Living-Learning Center

The McManus Living-Learning Center.

Pancoe–Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Life Sciences Pavilion

The Pancoe–Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Life Sciences Pavilion.

Parkes Hall

Parkes Hall.

Rebecca Crown Center

The Rebecca Crown Center.

Ryan Hall

Ryan Hall.

Scott Hall

Scott Hall.

Searle Hall

Searle Hall.

Shanley Hall

Shanley Hall.

Swift Hall

Funds for Swift Hall's construction were primarily donated by Jonathan Swift whose family had made a fortune in the meat packing industry. The building was designed by prominent Prairie Style architect George Maher around 1908.

The McCormick Tribune Center

The McCormick Tribune Center.

Chicago campus

The downtown Chicago campus of approximately 25 acres (100,000 m²), is home to the Feinberg School of Medicine and Northwestern University School of Law.

Abbott Hall

Abbott Hall has served as a dormitory and the University Gate is located here.

Arthur Rubloff Building

The Arthur Rubloff Building houses a state of the art law library, auditorium and law school facilities.

Feinberg Pavilion

The Feinberg Pavilion.

Galter Pavilion

The Galter Pavilion.

Health Sciences Building

The Health Sciences Building.

Heating Plant

The Heating Plant.

Jesse Brown VA Medical Center

The Jesse Brown VA Medical Center.

Lake Shore Center

The Lake Shore Center started as an exclusive men's club and then served as a dorm; it is now being redeveloped and is no longer used by the University. In the summer of 2005, it closed.

Levy Mayer Hall

Levy Mayer Hall, named for lawyer Levy Mayer, is part of the original 1920's University, collegiate gothic style, campus. It is also the original Law School, and still houses many of its finest classrooms and lecture halls. It forms part of the Law School cloister

McGaw Pavilion

The McGaw Pavilion.

Medical Science Building

The Medical Science Building.

Montgomery Ward Memorial Building

The Montgomery Ward Memorial Building (known as the Ward Building) at was built in the 1920s as part of the University's original downtown Chicago collegiate gothic style campus. It was constructed using a gift of $3 million (equivalent to $41.9 million as of 2008) from Elizabeth J. Ward the widow of Montgomery Ward. It is one of the buildings used by the Feinberg School of Medicine; originally it also housed the university's dental school.

Morton Medical Research Building

The Morton Medical Research Building.

Old Prentice Women's Hospital

Formerly known as the Stone Pavilion.

Olson Pavilion

The Olson Pavilion.

Prentice Women's Hospital and Maternity Center

Prentice Women's Hospital.

Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago

The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.

Robert McCormick Hall

Robert McCormick Hall forms part of the Law School cloister.

Searle Medical Research Building

The Searle Medical Research Building.

Tarry Research & Education Building

The Tarry Research & Education Building.

The Robert H. Lurie Medical Research Center of Northwestern University

The Robert H. Lurie Medical Research Center.

Wesley Pavilion

The Wesley Pavilion.

Wieboldt Hall

Wieboldt Hall is part of the original 1920's University, collegiate gothic style, campus.

Worcester House

The Worcester House.