The University of Illinois Alumni Association selected BLDD to design a new alumni center for the Urbana-Champaign campus. Public areas include a reception gallery, library, lounge and great room, student areas, and banquet facilities for up to 224 guests. The Center’s offices, conference rooms, and executive board room accommodate the Alumni Association. The spacious gallery and display areas exhibit U of I memorabilia, linking new and prospective students and their families with the traditions of Illinois.
This facility reflects the U of I’s stature as one of the world’s leading universities with one of the largest alumni membership organizations in the nation.
- Reception gallery
- Library
- Lounge
- Great Room
- Banquet facilities
The unique shape of these mid-century marvels makes them signature buildings on the NIU campus, but the dated interiors scared off students. A complete remodel helped breathe new life into the 13-story building, while still honoring the character.
Since the classes, labs, and greenhouse spaces were scattered throughout the campus, there were no central offices, classrooms designed for other disciplines, or collaborative spaces for students. This made sharing ideas, materials, and information difficult.
The first floor of Hovey Hall, an existing administrative building on the campus of Illinois State University, was remodeled to serve as the new home of the Financial Aid Department.