A M i e s ia n Rev i t aliz a tio n
Plano, Illinois
Visitors of the Farnsworth
House need to be greeted
with more enthusiasm than
that of a small white barn off
the side of a rural hghway.
They need to be met with a
building that is more than just
a visitor center. Miesian ideals
really give visitors the full Mies
experience from learning about
Mies other notable projects in
the gallery to actually seeing
first-hand the majesty of the
Farnsworth House itself. People
will see many Miesian moves
before prior to their Plano site
experience, without spoiling it.
With a new prominent impact
in its location, it will be hard
to miss this visitor center/ art
gallery dedicated to one of the
worlds greatest architects and
showcasing one of its most
innovative historical projects.
Facing Gallery from Patio Space
Tour Paths to Farnsworth
Miesian Cruciform Column Detail
Visitor/ Staff Parking
Current Visitor
Center
(Storage)
Open Frontal
Greenspace
Reflecting
Pool
Barnsworth
Gallery
(Unchanged)
To and from
Farnsworth
House
Multi-Purpose
Lobby /
Gift Shop
Public Patio
Space
Rented Land
(Corn Field)
Public/ Private
Patio Space
Projects
Gallery
BR
Mech.
Break
Room
Conference
Room
Catering
Kitchen
BR
Stor.
Staff Offices
Site Plan
Scale: 1/16 = 1
South Face Elevation
Scale: 1/16 = 1
Longitudinal Section
Scale: 1/16 = 1
40 Feet
8 Feet
Material Compositions
The material strategy for the
visitor center is rooted in Mies
Barcelona Pavilion as a precedent.
The goal was to take inspiration
from how the Barcelona Pavilion
decomposes a simple geometry
to form spaces. Adding multiple
shapes to deconstruct and
assigning materials to each set
allows for the entire body of the
building to be derived from four
shapes and four materials, being
green marble, matte finished
metal-panelled walls, floor to
cieling glazing, and wooden
gallery walls complemented by the
Miesian signiture flooring material;
Roman travertine. The materials
all complement the works of Mies
as well as incorperated a more
modern asthetic material in the
metal panelling.
Green Marble Wall Composition
Wooden Wall Composition
Metal-Panelled Wall Composition
Compiled Material
Wall Composition
Glass
Wood
Metal
Glazing Wall Compsition
Marble
A Miesian History
Back Side of Gallery
Front Entrance of Gallery
The gallery at the heart of the visitor center
is the most important space for experiencing
Mies and learning about his projects. Within
the gallery, one will see and learn about his
most notable pieces including Farnsworth
House through pictures on the walls and
through model displays within. With low
wooden dividing walls, cruciform columns,
long marble walls, and huge glass panes, the
gallery space showcases the goal of Miesian
education to all of its visitors before and after
the tours!
A Hint of Farnsworth
Along the newer tour path is the new Farnsworth Pavilion. The
pavilion will function as an event space for the visitor centers
needs as well as a resting stop along the tour and a pleasent
place to be on a visit to Farnsworth. The pavilion has the
basic geometry of the Farnsworth house, alluding to it on your
way there. Adding to the allusion, South of the Event Space is
a man-made pond steming from the Fox River. This relates to
the actual river next to Farnsworth as well as acting as a flood
mitigation tool. At its core are as set of bathrooms, the only
interior of the pavillion, and is self sustaining. The space will
use a rain water collection agent under grade to clean and
reuse water for the bathrooms in a closed loop system. It will
certainly be a must for visitors to check out!
Underneath the outdoor event space tensile structure
Exterior Overview of the Event Space
Rendered
Floor Plan
Shot taken from south end of building displaying
how the roof lays on the structure and a view of
the Barnsworth circulation
Circulation
Public
Private
