Description

The twin masts of Baxter Travenol (now Baxter International) are an iconic landmark along the Edens expressway (I-94). Located in north suburban Deerfield, the campus is anchored by the Central Facilities Building, whose cable-stayed roof provides column-free interiors for the company’s social hub. Beyond, a series of office pavilions and parking garages radiate out into a rolling bucolic landscape.

 The 1972 design of Baxter was a collaboration between SOM engineer Fazlur Khan and architect Bruce Graham, the legendary team who were also designing the John Hancock Center and the Sears Tower at the same time. While the better-known towers in downtown Chicago achieved new heights, Baxter was an exercise in creating horizontal space, described by architecture critic Zach Mortice as a “legendary synthesis of architecture and engineering” that captured – and respected the spirit of the prairie around it.

Baxter, like many other corporate campuses, has been rendered vulnerable by e-commerce, information technology, and the logistics sector. The future of the Baxter campus is uncertain, but its modular flexibility makes it ideal for adaptive reuse.

Join architectural historian and journalist Elizabeth Blasius for a deep dive into the history and design of the Baxter campus, an exploration of other corporate campuses in Chicago, and an intriguing look at adaptive reuse possibilities for this distinctive building typology.

Register HERE

This presentation is part of Docomomo US Tour Day, an annual celebration of modern architecture and design across the country.