Transformation and Dedication of the John T. Rettaliata Engineering Center Further Enhances Engineering Excellence
The dedication of the John T. Rettaliata Engineering Center on September 25, 2015 marked the culmination of the transformation of the building formerly known as Engineering 1. The project was initiated by a $10 million gift from Carly Pucci Rettaliata in the name of her late husband and former Illinois Institute of Technology President, John T. Rettaliata. The update of the building was the first major construction to occur on IIT’s Mies Campus since the completion of the McCormick Tribune Campus Center (MTCC) in September 2003.
The building was originally completed in 1966 and was designed by Myron Goldsmith, a student of Mies van der Rohe. Dirk Lohan, of Lohan Anderson was charged with breathing new life into the building while retaining its historical significance. Lohan is the grandson of Mies, and the ideal candidate for the project. Lohan studied under his grandfather at IIT and worked with him on projects such as the New National Gallery in Berlin, the IBM office building in Chicago and The Toronto Dominion Centre.
Numerous interior renovations of the John T. Rettaliata Engineering Center were designed to give students a collaborative space where they can congregate, work on projects, or even catch a quiet moment by themselves to study. Within the core of the building, the atrium is a hive of student activity. Extending from the first floor all the way through to the second floor skylights, it allows natural light to reach into the building’s center. The space is equipped with furniture that allows it to serve as a collaborative, multiple-use area for engineering students and faculty. Interactive video screens give students the ability to hold presentations and a writing wall provides them a surface to flesh out their ideas.
Dr. Jadwiga Roguska-Kyts, M.D. gifted $200,000 to create the Robert B. Kyts Design Studio and Machine Shop in the basement of the John T. Rettaliata Engineering Center. The donation also provided rapid prototyping and fabrication equipment for students to utilize in room 141 of the building. Both spaces house tools students can use to turn their ideas into fully realized prototypes and products.
A new exterior glass canopy welcomes visitors with open arms and proudly displays the John T. Rettaliata Engineering Center name. Benches on the patio give students a space to grab some fresh air after spending long hours in the building finishing projects or studying for exams.
The work accomplished over the last year preserves the historic legacy of the IIT Mies Campus, and will carry Armour’s reputation of engineering excellence well into the future.
