Illinois Holocaust Museum wins Architecture Award, named one of state’s 200 Great Places
The Illinois Council of The American Institute of Architects (AIA Illinois) has named Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center as one of Illinois’ 200 Great Places, in honor of the state’s Bicentennial in 2018. The announcement was made as part of National Architecture Week, which showcases the innovative and talented architects who’ve made positive contributions to society and coincides with the birthday week of the nation’s first president-architect, Thomas Jefferson, on April 12.
Nominations came from architects from all parts of the state and were selected by AIA regional chapters. Nominations were weighed against criteria including the AIA’s “10 Principles of Livable Communities.” They must be publicly accessible, pedestrian-friendly, designed on a human scale, and provide vibrant, public spaces, among other requirements.
“Separately and in total, our 200 Great Places are more than just examples of good or even great design – they are a testament to humanity’s need to shape their environment in a way that is often both pleasing and thought-provoking,” said Kim Kurtenbach, AIA, architect with BLDD Architects and 2018 AIA Illinois Board President.
With a theme based on the journey from darkness to light, the Stanley Tigerman design of Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center is steeped in both cultural and religious significance. Affirming its place as both monument and memorial, the 65,000-square-foot space incorporates historical and emotional symbolism as a response to the apocalyptic inhumanity of the Holocaust.
“The story of the Holocaust is embedded in the building,” said renowned Chicago architect Stanley Tigerman. “A part of every building that I do, I try to educate – and you do that architecturally. I’ve always wanted to do buildings where poignancy was built into the building.”
In this recent video, Tigerman describes the symbolic aspects of the architecture, as well as the major events that took place during construction of the Illinois Holocaust Museum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewenIjAJKno
The Museum holds Architecture Tours every second Sunday and last Saturday of each month, from 11 am – 12 pm. The tours are free with Museum admission and do not require reservations.
Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center has been awarded LEED Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. AIA Illinois’ Illinois Great Places recognition program was created in 2007 to commemorate AIA’s 150th anniversary and was designed to broadly include the “built environment,” which includes civil, landscape and engineering places, as well as architecture.
About Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center
Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, located at 9603 Woods Drive, Skokie, IL, honors the Survivors and victims of the Holocaust and transforms history into current, relevant, and universal lessons in humanity. Through world-class exhibitions and programs, the Museum inspires individuals and organizations and provides a universal wake-up call to action: Take history to heart. Take a stand for humanity. The Museum is open daily from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and Thursday evenings until 8:00 p.m. Learn more at www.illinoisholocaustmuseum.org. #TAKEASTAND
Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.
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