On October 8 the College of Architecture will host “Restoring Mies,” a talk given by Mark Sexton, FAIA (B.ARCH. ’80). Sexton is an Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture alumnus and co-chair of the college’s Board of Advisors, as well as a member of the Illinois Tech Board of Trustees and a member of the Board of Directors for the Chicago Architecture Biennial.
Through his work at his firm, Krueck+Sexton Architects, now Krueck Sexton Partners, Sexton has contributed to the restoration and renovation of three landmarked buildings by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. In 2005, in what is perhaps his most high-profile Mies project, he led the renovation of S. R. Crown Hall, restoring the key details of the National Historic Landmark while making changes to the building in order to improve its energy efficiency.
In addition to his work on Crown Hall, Sexton worked on two other Mies buildings. In 1992 Krueck+Sexton combined two stacked units on the 25th and 26th floors of 860 North Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, connecting them with a stainless steel staircase while referencing Mies’ original shop drawings in the process. In 2006 he was involved in the restoration of the travertine plaza and storefronts of 860-880 North Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. The firm also worked on the restoration of the steel and glass facade of the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice building, the only Mies building on the University of Chicago’s campus.
“The impact of spending years in Crown Hall, absorbing the lessons of this iconic building, has followed me in all I do in architecture and design,” says Sexton. “Crown Hall may have been my most influential teacher.”
The talk will be hosted in person at Crown Hall, and will begin at 5 p.m. CDT. Face coverings will be required. Even if you are fully vaccinated, all students, staff, faculty, and guests must wear a face covering indoors. The university will review and revise the mask protocol as appropriate given changes to state and city public-health guidelines.