University of Chicago: Physics Research Center / Perkins Eastman

The Physics Research Center (PRC) is the new home for theoretical and experimental physics at the University of Chicago. It is an adaptive reuse of an existing midcentury modern research building – including a gut renovation of the majority of the interior space, a completely new enclosure, and two new occupied floor levels over the existing structure. The original building, called the Laboratory for Astrophysics and Space Research (LASR), was designed by SOM and completed in 1964. An embodiment of the architectural spirit of its time, the simple, rational building is characterized by an expressed structure and wide floor plates, thereby presenting challenges for renovation due to its intricate reinforced concrete joists and girders, shallow floor-to-floor heights, and uninsulated enclosure.