The University of Chicago's Joe and Rika Mansueto Library designed by Helmut Jahn turns three years old this summer, but still remains one of Chicago's most important pieces of new architecture. Jahn, a German native, has been an influential Chicago-based architect for several decades now, and is best known for his unique take on modernism. When tapped to design the U of C's main library, Jahn had an idea to keep the building low profile, as the site was "one of the few open spaces left on the campus". In this short video, Jahn explains that great buildings should be designed based on their context, stating that "the best buildings are the ones that derive their aesthetic appearance from what they house". The library has a large reading room, with seating for 180 people, and 3.5 million books in an underground storage retriever. As Jahn states, "In science and physics, you never get to the end, because there is no end. Architecture is the same way".
·UChicago Architecture: Helmut Jahn on the Ethos of Mansueto Library [Youtube]
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