Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership

This striking LEED Silver learning facility completed for Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership is one of Michigan Avenue’s most recent architectural feats. The project included interior build out complete with classrooms; library; museum gallery and storage space; a 420-seat state-of-the-art theater for lectures, live performances, and film; kosher café; space for community events, cultural festivals, and celebrations; children and family center; and gift shop.

The complicated, multi-faceted curtainwall facade which overlooks Michigan Avenue into Grant Park and Lake Michigan was completed in a Design-Build format.

The façade is formed by complex folds in three-dimensions and is supported by a customized structural system. The striking folded/unfolded, ultra-faceted, all-glass curtain wall, which included 726 glass panes, is arranged in angled facets, making this structure aesthetically unique for a historical Michigan Avenue location.

The infill building is located between two operating higher education campuses, making this a logistically challenging project.