MONDAY  |  APR 3 | 4 PM  | AB 100

LECTURE AND CAP GALLERY EXHIBIT

Join the Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning April 3 for “Mies in Indiana,” an examination of the work of influential architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in Indiana.

 

A proponent of a “less is more” design philosophy, Mies gained recognition in the twentieth century as a leader of the International Style. On April 3, a guest lecture and CAP gallery exhibit will open to highlight the little-known work of Mies in Indiana. The lecture, at 4 p.m. in AB 100, will be presented by Adam Thies, BUPD 2000, and IU Architecture Prof. Jon Racek as part of the ongoing CAP guest lecture series.

 

Why Mies? Why now?

A rediscovered 1952 design created by Mies for Indiana University’s Bloomington campus led that university to contact the architect’s grandchildren to secure permission to construct the building to house the university’s Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design. Adam Thies, associate vice president of capital planning at Indiana University and a Ball State urban planning alumnus, will share the story of how the nearly forgotten design was found and realized.  Jonathan Racek, program director and senior lecturer at Indiana University Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design, will discuss Mies’ design legacy.  

The accompanying gallery show “Mies in Indiana” features the little-known history of the architect’s designs in Indiana between 1947 and 1953, particularly in Indianapolis and Bloomington, and how his work influenced more well-known examples in Chicago and beyond. The exhibit is sponsored by the Central Indiana Community Foundation.

 

Adam Thies is the associate vice president for capital planning and design at Indiana University. He oversees and advises on master planning as well as architectural design for all IU campuses and has oversight of space planning, landscape architecture, and campus sustainability efforts. Prior to coming to Indiana University, Thies was director of the Department of Metropolitan Development for the City of Indianapolis, where he managed a professional staff of 75 city planners, redevelopment officials, transportation planners, and design professionals. In his almost 25-year career, Adam has been involved in the planning and development of approximately $1.5 billion worth of projects across Indiana.  

 

Jon Racek is an architectural designer and educator. He is the program director of the comprehensive design area and a senior lecturer in the Eskenazi School of Art, Design, and Architecture. He is the co-director of the ServeDesign Center at Eskenazi, a design outreach center, and the founder of Play360, a non-profit that trains communities in the developing world to design and build educational play spaces. His design work has been published in such publications as Time magazine, The New York Times and Wallpaper.   

 

 

CAP lectures are free and open to the public. To view previous lectures, visit our YouTube channel here.