Northwestern University Commons
Integrating innovative spaces and techniques within attractive environments that will support and inspire a new generation of leaders, this new 220,000-square-feet campus center for Northwestern University provides an auditorium, black box theater, large multipurpose spaces and extensive indoor-outdoor areas on a site overlooking Lake Michigan in Evanston. Conceived as a hub that will connect the university with the local community through ambitiously programmed spaces that promote social exchange, its collaborative classrooms; student and faculty hubs; and innovation and tech maker creative labs will be utilized by students, faculty, alumni, families, and staff.
UrbanWorks developed the complex’s food service areas as varied experiences—bistro, cafe, marketplace, and micro-restaurants—that will be places of community and social exchange, as well as places of active commerce. The facilities accommodate art chef demonstration areas and seasonal changing backdrops to enrich the experience.