Northwestern University’s Rubloff Building three-story atrium addition is located directly south of the existing atrium, between the Rubloff Building and McCormick Hall/Owen L. Coon Library. The program includes new student spaces and classrooms for study and team exercises; a revamped café that solves the circulation, queuing, and storage capacity problems of the existing arrangement; and additional faculty and staff offices.
An important design consideration was creating an environment with a new and modern look and technologies conducive to today’s student learning, while also respecting the original architecture of the School of Law. This was accomplished by implementing new classrooms and study rooms with sophisticated A/V technology and flexible furniture arrangements.
Student gathering areas are interspersed throughout the space, allowing spontaneous interaction and collaboration to occur. The first floor features the café with seating and exposed limestone from the existing building, creating a unique mix of new and historic. The heavy use of glass creates transparency throughout the space and promotes natural daylight.