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Northwestern's campus is littered with landmarks. Almost any student would recognize the jagged concrete towers of University Library, the castle-like Rebecca Crown Center or the grassy slopes of the Lakefill. Fewer students know the name of Walter Netsch - the man who designed some of the campus' most distinctive buildings and spaces.
An exhibit at the library aims to change that. From Feb. 7 to March 30, material from Netsch's career as an architect and art collector is being showcased on the first floor of the Netsch-designed library. The exhibit features sketches, architectural drawings, photos and literature from the university archives, the Chicago Historical Society, the library's art collection and special collections and Netsch's own private collection.
"The curators have done a fine job of putting architecture and my history in a glass case," said Netsch, who received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from NU in 1980 and turns 86 on Thursday.
In addition to the library, the Lakefill and Rebecca Crown, Netsch designed five other structures for NU from 1962 to 1977: Lindheimer Astronomical Research Center (which was torn down in 1995), Hogan Biological Sciences Building, Frances Searle Building, Mudd Science and Engineering Library and Regenstein Hall of Music. In his career he has designed a total of 15 libraries, most of them on university campuses. One of his projects, the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., was named a National Historic Landmark in 2004.
The library is considered to be a predecessor of field theory, Netsch's most famous architectural innovation. Field theory seeks to "break the box" of conventional architecture, according to Russ Clement head of the art department at Deering Library and curator of the Netsch exhibit. To do that, Netsch rotated squares to create complex geometrical figures, "almost like snowflakes," Clement said. The results are often striking; field theory-designed buildings, such as University Library, tend to radiate from cores and have multiple access points.
Not everyone admires the style.
"Aesthetically, I wouldn't describe it as exactly pleasing," Communication junior Tim Lewandowski said. "It seems kind of arbitrary in the way its set up."
Clement said he has heard both positive and negative comments about the library's layout.
"Like any architecture that makes a bold statement, you're going to get a reaction," he said. "I don't think the question for me has ever been, 'Do I like this architecture or not?' I think it's indicative of a style and a time and a certain architect."
Netsch said he is pleased with the way the library has adapted since he designed it in 1964, a time when card catalogues helped people find books. For him, the most important thing is that the library contributes to intellectual life.
"Academic architecture has been my life, and that is because these buildings are useful for individuals who are working hard in education, not in an office building," he said.
Reach Spencer Kornhaber at
s-kornhaber@northwestern.edu.
