CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The death of famed architect Helmut Jahn comes a week after the state decided to put one of his most famous buildings up for sale.
WBBM Newsradio’s Nancy Harty spoke with someone who hopes this changes that.
Former Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin hopes the review of Jahn’s work following his death will ignite a push to preserve the Thompson Center.
Kamin called the postmodern structure an extraordinary civic space and thinks demolishing it would be a shortsighted mistake.
"His death, which is tragic, still reminds us of what a great architect he was, because it forces us to look at his body of work and that body of work is extraordinary," he said.
To those who complain the massive glass atrium is wasted space, Kamin said that’s a "ridiculous" statement that would never be said about the capitol in Springfield or Washington, D.C.
"The function of a public building is not simply to contain offices, it is to inspire us and to remind us of our common destiny," Kamin said.
Kamin said the Thompson Center invites the public inside and contributes to the vitality of the Loop.
He said it would be a tragedy if the building is demolished, and that Jahn came up with plans to make it more economical. Kamin wondered if the City of Chicago will give the building landmark status so it can’t be knocked down.
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