Walter Netsch Bibliography

Secondary Sources

1960s

1960

Books

Doms, Keith, and Howard Rovelstad, eds. Guidelines for Library Planners. Proceedings of the Library Buildings and Equipment Institute. Chicago: American Library Association, 1960. 128 p. il. plans.

Director Lieutenant Colonel George V. Fagen and librarian Donald C. Davidson discuss the library at the United States Air Force Academy (p. 43-50, 1 il., plans). Fagen describes the makeup of the academy and the library’s functions, while Davidson makes critical remarks on the building. Davidson praises the mezzanine level and the abundance of space and criticizes the some of the furniture, lighting, and staff spaces. In a transcribed conversation, Fagen and Davidson debate the practicality and performance of the circular central staircase.

Articles

"The Crown Zellerbach Building." Architectural Record 127, no. 4 (April 1960): 197-204. 22 il. 4 plans and diagrams.

Showcases Crown Zellerbach's headquarters in San Francisco, a high-rise building initially designed by Walter Netsch and completed by Charles Bassett in 1959.

"Crown Zellerbach." Architectural Review 128, no. 766 (December 1960): 392. 2 il. 1 plan.

Brief review of Crown Zellerbach's headquarters in San Francisco, a building initially designed by Walter Netsch and completed by Charles Bassett in 1959.

1961

Books

Northwestern University 1961/1971. Evanston: Northwestern University Trustee Committee on Development, 1961. 14 p. il.

Development brochure on the Lakefill project that details different stages from 1962 to 1965 and shows concepts for new buildings on the site. The Lakefill added 71 acres to the Evanston campus, at a cost of $6.5 million. Walter Netsch helped plan the project and designed several buildings for the new space. The plan for the library depicts a square, fortress-like building with an interior courtyard.

Office Buildings: An Architectural Record Book. NY: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1961. 248 p. il. plans. diagrams.

The Netsch-designed Inland Steel Building is featured in this compendium of office architecture (p. 43-50, 12 il., 8 plans). The entry includes interior and exterior photos and plans illustrating details of structural and framing elements. While it touts the innovations of the building, the text mainly treats the engineering principles behind the design in highly technical terms.

Articles

"Circular Bank for Triangular Plaza." Architectural Record 129, no. 1 (January 1961): 112-13. 2 il. 3 plans and diagrams.

Announces a circular bank building slated for the triangular plaza adjacent to the Crown Zellerbach building in San Francisco. Walter Netsch designed Crown Zellerbach's 22-story high-rise in 1954. The building was completed by Charles Bassett in 1959.

“P/A Eighth Annual Design Awards.”Progressive Architecture 42, no. 1 (January 1961): 96-97, 154-56. 7 il. 1 chart.

This article presents the results of Progressive Architecture’s annual juried competition, judged by five eminent architects, among them Netsch and Philip Johnson. The jury members express certain tendencies they observed in reviewing the 507 applications and outline their criteria for award selection. Netsch suggests chaos, concrete and cubism as the current trends in architecture, and he and Johnson defend the “brutalist” tendencies of Earl Carlin’s New Haven Fire Station.

"Space Age Symbol: Air Academy's Chapel." Engineering News-Record 166, no. 16 (April 20, 1961). 5 il. 1 diagram.

Shows designs and construction of the U.S.A.F.A. Cadet Chapel, noting its distinctive modern style. A diagram shows the Chapel's spire frame. Concludes: "Completion of the chapel is scheduled for this fall. It is the last major structure in the Air Force Academy's present construction program."

"Air Academy Chapel Shapes Up." Architectural Forum 114, no. 5 (May 1961): 128-29. 4 il.

Snapshot of construction of the U.S.A.F.A. Cadet Chapel. "Last month the framework was finished, a lacy skeleton of tubular steel tetrahedrons stacked one on top of the other ... the frame consists of 100 identical tetrahedrons, each 75 feet long and weighing 5 tons. They were fabricated in Missouri, shipped by rail, and hoisted in place by cranes. The tetrahedrons are spaced 2 feet apart creating gaps in the framework which will be filled with 1-inch-thick panels of stained glass." (p. 128). Photos show the Chapel under construction.

“Chapelle de l’Académie de l’Armée de l’Air Américaine, Colorado Springs, Etats-Unis.”L’Architecture d’aujourd’hui no. 96 (juin/juillet 1961): 78-[79]. 5 il. 2 plans

This article on the Cadet Chapel at the United States Air Force Academy, which was completed later than the rest of the campus and was designed to house Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant congregations. Summarizes the chapel’s structural highlights in a brief text illustrated with pictures and drawings.

“Campus Design by Function, Not Discipline.”Architectural Record 130, no. 4 (October 1961): 12-13. 4 il.

Presemts SOM’s plan for the new Chicago campus of the University of Illinois. The article's title highlights the main innovation of the campus, tailoring buildings to their function rather than to the subject taught within (i.e., all offices together, all labs together, etc.). The campus, which is designed to grow with the school in three phases, seeks to incorporate the varied and changing uses of the university in the most economical manner.

"Chapel of the Air Force Academy, [Colorado] Springs, Colorado." Kokusai-Kentiku 28 (November 1961): 37-39. 5 il. 4 plans. In Japanese.

Publishes photos and floor plans of the U.S.A.F.A. Cadet Chapel during construction. Minimal caption text only.

1962

Books

Northwestern University Library Planning Committee. 20 Year Planning Program: New Research and Core Library; Integration of Deering Library. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University: 1962. 186 p. il.

Report of the committee of seven NU faculty, library staff, and SOM representatives that determined the library requirements, both physically and intellectually, in an attempt to construct a modern university community specific to Northwestern. Professor Clarence L. Ver Steeg chaired the committee.

Articles

"Those Towering Spires." Monsanto Magazine (Summer 1962): 13-15. 4 il.

Complimentary article about the U.S.A.F.A. Cadet Chapel that details design features of "this modern masterpiece of point-and-counterpoint." Covers art work elements of Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant worship areas, and notes religious symbolism. Referring to the Jewish area, states: "Here, as in the soaring beauty of the Protestant nave and the modern artistic richness of the Catholic chapel, the architects' aim has become reality: 'A chapel of the future for an Air Force of the future.'" (p. 15). Predicts, "...those spires of the Cadet Chapel will be the USAFA symbol best remembered by millions of visitors who stroll across the beautiful academy campus in coming years." (p. 13).

"Soaring Pattern--The Air Force Chapel. New York Times Magazine (July 22, 1962): 22-23. 7 il.

Sunday feature article on the U.S.A.F.A. Cadet Chapel, then nearly completed. Includes a short text by Ada Louise Huxtable on the Chapel's "daring" architecture and "dramatic" setting. Photos of the structure are juxtaposed by photos of Le Corbusier's Ronchamp Chapel, Wright's synagogue in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, and Marcel Breuer's St. John's Abbey Church in Collegeville, Minnesota.

"Spires that Soar." Time (July 27, 1962): 74-79. il.

Showcases the U.S.A.F.A. Chapel, including its controversial history and design.

“Campus Expansion on Made Land.”Progressive Architecture 43, no. 8 (August 1962): 130-35. 2 il. 4 plans.

Begins with excerpted remarks by Netsch on campus planning, in which he discusses the tenets that determined the campus plan for the University of Illinois at Chicago and poses questions about the discipline of campus planning. Netsch describes the campus planning process from preparation to development, and discusses three of his campus plans. The remainder of the article reviews plans for the lakefill expansion of Northwestern University, focusing more on the lakefill itself than the buildings to be constructed on the land.

"Grinnell's Library and Fine Arts Center." Progressive Architecture 43, no. 9 (September 1962): 146-53. 13 il. 4 plans.

Presents Grinnell's Burling Library and Fine Arts Center, the first buildings constructed in SOM's campus development plan. Most of the article details the Roberts Theater in the Fine Arts Center.

Temko, Allan. "The Air Academy Chapel-A Critical Appraisal." Architectural Forum 117, no. 12 (December 1962): 74-79. 8 il. 1 plan.

Criticizes the U.S.A.F.A. Cadet Chapel, "laden with Gothic reminiscence and ravaged internally by the official taste of the clergy and the Air Force ... is in truth our first militant monument to Mass Cult." (p. 75). Also finds fault with the "unwieldy tetrahedrons" and stained glass-"Have we not had enough of these cloying yellows, sickening pinks, and vile purples and violets which are a travesty of the medieval glassmaker's art?" (p. 78).

"The Chapel, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado." Architectural Record 132, no. 12 (December 1962): cover, 87-92. 16 il. 3 plans.

Praises the Cadet Chapel as a "deft fusion of color, form and structure ... the visual dominant of the Academy." (p. 85). Includes numerous photos and construction notes, such as details about the use of structural steel pipe in the tetrahedron frames. Notes, "The fuss over weather leakage at joints is being resolved to the satisfaction of all; double glazing (originally called for in the architect's detail and then eliminated for economy's sake) will be provided and should solve the problem." (p. 92). Issue cover has a color photograph of the Cadet Chapel.

1963

Books

Danz, Ernst. Architecture of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, 1950-1962. Introduction by Henry Russell Hitchcock. New York: Praeger, 1963. 232 p. il. plans.

This book gives an overview of 38 major SOM projects, with an introduction to and history of the firm, with text in both English and German. It includes descriptions, plans, elevations, and photographs of several of Netsch’s early works: the United States Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California (p. 48-53); the Inland Steel Building in Chicago (p. 74-81); the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado (p. 102-17); and the University of Illinois, Chicago Campus (p. 212-15).

Articles

"Chapelle de l'Académie de l'Armée de l'Air Américaine, Colorado Springs, Etats-Unis." L'Architecture d'aujourd'hui 34, no. 108 (juin-juillet 1963): 10-16. 11 il. 4 plans.

Overview and description of the newly constructed U.S. Air Force Academy, replete with critical praise, eleven photographs of exteriors and interiors, floor plans, elevations, and caption texts. The Cadet Chapel's revolutionary aesthetics, engineering, and innovative uses of new materials receive the most attention and appreciation. Credits "Walter A. Netsch, Jr., chargé du projèt." Photos (one full-page) capture the chapel from many angles, including its distinctive location on campus. States: "This chapel is certainly one of the most important in the world today that merits continued attention." (p. 12). One photo shows a long series of tetrahedron frames loaded onto railway cars.

"The ACSA Committee Reports." Journal of Architectural Education 18, no. 2 (September 1963): 19-21.

Lists Walter Netsch as one of seven members of the Committee on the Advancement of Architectural Education responsible for this report on professional training and licensing examinations. The report was accepted by the ACSA at its annual meeting in May, 1963.

1964

Books

Katz, William A., and Roderick G. Swartz, eds. Problems in Planning Library Facilities: Consultants, Architects, Plans, and Critiques. Proceedings of the Library Buildings Institute, conducted at Chicago, July 12-13, 1963. Chicago: American Library Association, 1964. 208 p. il. plans.

In a section on the University of Illinois at Chicago library, chairman Frazer Poole, librarian Edward Heiliger, and Walter Netsch discuss the building and its planning (p. 46-56, 1 il., 5 plans). In both a written section and in a transcribed interview, Netsch considers the library building and its relation to the larger plan for campus expansion. He looks at the prominent features of the space, discusses intended use as a foundation for design, and outlines provisions for future additions to the building. Five floor plans are illustrated.

Articles

“New Library Plan Approved.”Northwestern Alumni News 43, no. 6 (May 1964): [1]

“Institutions Get Modern Look.”Chicago Tribune (May 25, 1964).

Terte, Robert H. "Out of the Lake: A Library." New York Times (May 31, 1964): E7.

Short piece on Northwestern University's Lakefill and Library projects.

“N.U. to Build $9 Million Library, Triple Book Capacity of School.”Chicago Tribune (May 31, 1964). 2 il. 1 plan.

This article outlines the funding, timeline and increased space of the new library. Netsch is photographed at a press conference with Northwestern University representatives.

“N.U. Plans a $10 Million ‘Living’ Library.”Chicago American (May 31, 1964).

“President Miller Announces Plans Set For Library: $10 Million Complex To Extend on Lakefill.” The Daily Northwestern 84, no. 111 (June 1, 1964): [1], 4. 1 il.

This issue of The Daily Northwestern is dedicated to articles about the library. Outlines the improved features of the new library and includes three paragraphs on the "architect's concept" including: the building must harmonize with existing architecture and compliement what will become the architectural mood of the new campus in decades ahead.

“Ver Steeg’s Concept of Complex: Library—1st Step in Long-Range Plans." The Daily Northwestern 84, no. 111 (June 1, 1964): 2. 1 il.

Clarence L. Ver Steeg, chairman of the Library Planning Commitee, wrote this article on the educational concepts underlying Northwestern's new library design.

“Map Pictures Layout of ‘New’ Northwestern.” The Daily Northwestern 84, no. 111 (June 1, 1964): 3. 1 il. map.

A detailed map of the lakefill space and how areas will be designated in the future.

“Editorial: Buildings.” The Daily Northwestern 84, no. 111 (June 1, 1964): 4. 1 il.

Includes an artist’s rendering of one of the floors of a research tower of Northwestern University Library.

"Concepts Behind New Library Design Discussed by Architect." The Daily Northwestern 84, no. 111 (June 1, 1964): 4.

Walter Netsch explains concepts behind the design of the new library at Northwestern.

“University to Start Work in Spring on $10,000,000 Addition to Library.” Evanston Review (June 4, 1964).

This article discusses the library at Northwestern, its new amenities and radial plan for book stacks.

“New Northwestern Laboratory Library.” Antiquarian Bookman (June 29, 1964): cover, 2815-817. 3 il.

Describes the features of the new library, on which construction had not yet begun, and the nearly-completed "Lake campus," or lakefill project. The author pays particular attention to the innovations of the library design, including its attention to technology like telephone and television communications, the Core Library and research towers, and "Radial rather than linear arrangements of books and resources, spreading like sunbursts from central information centers."

“University Library Employs Radial Plan.” Architectural Record 136, no. 1 (July 1964): 15. 3 il.

This article on the new research library at Northwestern notes that Netsch's design has an eye toward flexibility of space and privacy for self-study. The design is also noted for having taken a large facility and breaking it down in scale to relate architecturally to existing campus structures, as well as the intimate relation between the individual and the library's special functions.

“Unique Library Planned as ‘Intellectual Capitol.’”Northwestern University Alumni News 43, no. 7 (July 1964): 3-5. 5 il.

Highlights the benefits of the new library, the improved space, as well as its distinctive and innovative features. Dr. John E. Burchard, dean of the Social Sciences and Humanities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is quoted: "This building is innovative within the bounds of reason; it is focused on the life of the user; it is thoughtfully conceived and beautifully detailed."

Buck, Thomas. "Upside-Down U. of I. Building Takes Shape." Chicago Tribune (August 2, 1964): A6. 2 il.

Article about construction of the 28-story University Hall at UIC's Circle Campus, "one of 14 structures being rushed toward completion for the scheduled opening of the new Chicago Circle campus in February under the initial building program costing approximately 60 million dollars." Reprints an architect's sketch of the structure.

“Bold Library Plan for Total User Experience.”American School & University 37, no. 1 (September 1964): cover, 48, 50. 4 il.

Summarizes plans for the new library and includes this quote by Netsch: "By developing an individual-centered use, the concept reflects the direction toward self-study; and by maintaining a vertical control section with the circulation desk, and by developing radial centers, flexibility of current use is assured and any future changes and electronic equipment installations can be conveniently accommodated."

1965

Books

Siegel, Arthur, ed. Chicago’s Famous Buildings: A Photographic Guide to the City’s Architectural Landmarks and Other Notable Buildings. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press; Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1965. 272 p. il.

This book includes short entries on the Illinois Institute of Technology campus (p. 150-53), Lake Meadows (p. 164), and the Inland Steel Building (p. 160-63). None of the entries mention Netsch’s involvement with these projects. Netsch’s University Library at IIT (completed in 1962) is not pictured, but there are illustrations and plans of the Inland Steel Building. Other editions appeared in 1969 and 1980.

Webster, J. Carson. Architecture of Chicago and Vicinity. Chicago: Society of Architectural Historians, 1965. 69 p. il.

This architectural guide contains an entry on the University of Illinois, Chicago campus (p. 19-23).

Articles

"Chicago Circle Opens." UIC News (February 23, 1965): 8-9. 5 il.

Collage of photographs of the construction and dedication ceremony of the University of Illinois, Chicago Circle Campus. The campus was dedicated on February 22, 1965. Includes a photo of Walter Netsch at the construction site.

“$2.5 Million Gift Given N.U. For New Three-Tower Library.”Evanston Review (March 18, 1965). 1 plan.

Focuses on a large gift of Grover M. Hermann, which will be used to build one of the three principal towers as a memorial to his son, Grover M. Hermann, Jr., who attended Northwestern before being killed in World War II.

Banham, Reyner. “A Walk in the Loop.”Chicago 2, no. 2 (Spring 1965): 24-27. 1 il.

Coiner of the term “New Brutalism,” Reyner Banham lays out a walking tour of the Loop that includes the Harris Trust Building and the Inland Steel Building, both structures on which Netsch worked. Banham dubs the Inland Steel Building “one of the few modern buildings in the Loop that can even claim to be in the same league as Mies.” Richard Lippold’s sculpture in the lobby is illustrated.

Von Eckardt, Wolf. "Chicago's No-Nonsense Design for a True Urban Campus." Providence [Rhode Island] Journal Bulletin (June 20, 1965): N 37. 1 il.

Sunday feature article on the new University of Illinois at Chicago campus. "The campus was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, with lanky, scientific minded Walter Netsch the designer in charge. ... Mr. Netsch has designed each building to serve a function rather than a department." Favorably reviews both the overall plan and individual buildings. Concludes, "As at the Air Force Academy, which Walter Netsch also designed, we have visual order."

[Dixon, John Morris]. “Campus City, Chicago: University of Illinois’ New Urban Campus.”Architectural Forum 123, no. 2 (September 1965): cover, 21-45. 38 il. 16 plans. 2 maps.

Describes Netsch’s University of Illinois at Chicago campus in great detail. Sections of the article describe the general concept, the evolution of the plan, the rules governing the design, and the prominent features of the campus. These include the second-story walkways, the lecture center, the science and engineering laboratory building, the University Hall tower, and plans for future expansion, including the Art and Architecture building. The article concludes with an evaluation of the project, which argues that its strength is in its lack of conformity within design rules. It also argues that the functional design might prove problematic to faculty and students, and that the organization risks creating an alienating atmosphere with little room for expansion. The author urges that the university to make an effort to become integrated into the surrounding community.

“NU Expects Library Plans in Winter.” The Daily Northwestern (September 30, 1965).

Moholy-Nagy, Sybil. “Nouveau campus de l’université d’Illinois à Chicago.” L’Architecture d’aujourd’hui no. 122 (Septembre/Novembre 1965): 10-13. 9 il. 1 plan.

Evaluates the University of Illinois at Chicago campus soon after its completion. The author is generally enthusiastic about the project's overall conception and its high level of craftsmanship and detail. She finds fault, however, with the fact that all of the windows in the buildings are fixed and fenestrated because the buildings are air-conditioned. She finds this contradictory to the idea of the campus having an “open door” to all who want to learn.

“University of Illinois, Chicago Campus: Transition, Tradition, or New Approach?” Progressive Architecture 46, no. 10 (October 1965): 222-31.16 il. 2 plans.

Highlights of a discussion between Progressive Architecture Senior Editor James Burns, Walter Netsch, Edward Dart of Loeble, Schlossman, Bennet & Dart, and Leonard Currie, Dean of the School of Architecture and Art at the University of Illinois, Chicago are reprinted. The article discusses specific problems faced in conceiving the campus and its architecture, as well as the larger problem of new university design. Dart is the most critical of the project, suggesting that it does not go far enough to innovate, and he wishes it were more compact and compatible with Chicago weather. Dart subsequently worked with Netsch on expansion projects at Northwestern University.

“Civic University: Functional Hierarchy.”Architectural Review 138, no. 826 (December 1965): 391-92. 9 il. 4 plans.

Evaluates and describes Netsch’s University of Illinois, Chicago campus. The article suggests that Netsch’s campus is the first new university that is thoroughly urban in setting. Argues that the scheme is the most successful architectural attempt at implementing a functional order of civic life rather than a hierarchical one.

"Grinnell's Social Geometry." Progressive Architecture 46, no. 12 (December 1965): 118-25. 13 il. 8 plans.

Describes the "College Forum" at Grinnell College, designed by Walter Netsch. It guides the reader through the building discussing function, as well as architectural elements, and quotes Netsch on the building's "strong geometry."

“Interiors Irresistible to Students.” Contract Interiors 125, no. 5 (December 1965): [74]-[79]. 9 il. 5 plans.

Describes the Grinnell College Forum Building designed by SOM, with Netsch as Partner in Charge of Architectural Design. The building was designed as the primary social space on campus, and its interiors are inviting to students. An open plan, many levels, and interior and exterior windows allow students to observe activities throughout the building as they pass by and through it. SOM also designed all of the fixtures and furniture for the interior to ensure that they are appropriate for the overall function of the building.

“N.U. Development Plan Ready.” Chicago Tribune (December 13, 1965).

1966

Books

Heyer, Paul. Architects on Architecture. New York: Walker & Co., 1966. 415 p. il.

Survey of major architectural firms. The section on Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (p. 363-77) lists Walter Netsch as a partner. Highlights the firm's major commissions, including the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, the U.S. Air Force Academy, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Northwestern University Library (see 371-75). Final mention on Netsch on page 376: "If SOM's design leaders do not act as disciples of one another-Netsch, for example, seem interested in exploring different avenues, while [Bruce] Graham seems more concerned with the evolution and refinement of an approach-they do seem to have found the freedom in teamwork to concentrate their attentions appropriately."

Articles

“La nuova città universitaria di Chicago.” L’Architettura 11 (febbraio 1966): 668-69. 9 il. 4 plans.

Illustrations show designs for Netsch’s University of Illinois, Chicago campus, with one caption.

[Gueft, Olga]. “From Roads to Lockers: SOM Designs New Campus for Illinois University.” Contract Interiors 125, no. 10 (May 1966): 130-41. il. plans.

Discusses the University of Illinois, Chicago campus as “total design,” in which all aspects of the project are considered together and executed around guiding principles. The article describes the overall organization of the campus, along with many of its custom details. It includes plans of the Lecture Center and the top floor of University Hall, and lists material sources for the interiors.

“University of Illinois, Chicago Circle by SOM; W. Netsch Partner in Charge.” Architectural Forum 124, no. 4 (May 1966): 50-51.

Part of a section on university planning, this article evaluates Netsch’s scheme at UIC Circle Campus. It suggests that the campus’s functional organization is problematic, and that the circulation system is not conducive to social life on campus.

Moholy-Nagy, Sibyl. “Chicago Circle: Grosstadt Campus der Universität von Illinois.” Der Baumeister 63 (May 1966): 525-36.

“Netsch of SOM Honored.” Interiors 125, no. 12 (July 1966): 10.

Netsch was awarded the National Society of Interior Designers Total Design Award for the University of Illinois Chicago Circle Campus, which is cited as an outstanding example of total environmental design.

Mendini, A. "I grandi organismi di progettazione negli Stati Uniti." Casabella 30, no. 309 (settembre 1966): 28-55. il.

Extensive presentation of the U.S. Air Force Academy, supplemented by aerial photos of the site and of individual buildings. Devotes several pages to the Cadet Chapel.

1967

Articles

“Universität von Illinois: Chicago Circle Campus.” Deutsche Bauzeitung 101, no. 7 (July 1967): 533-34. 1 il. 1 plan.

Brief overview of the UIC Circle Campus, illustrated by a photo of the amphitheater and a site plan.

"First Plan for the Seventies." Northwestern Review (Winter 1967): 2-7. il.

Reveals campus planning and new building projects on the lakefill, including Northwestern University Library.

1968

Books

Koeper, Frederick. Illinois Architecture From Territorial Times to the Present: A Selective Guide. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1968. 304 p. il.

Includes section on University of Illinois at Chicago's Circle Campus (p. 94-95) and the Lindheimer Astronomical Research Center at Northwestern University (p. 120-21).

Articles

“Cold Can’t Cool Construction.” The Daily Northwestern (January 24, 1968). 1 il.

This photo captures the new library during construction. The caption notes that the cold weather and snow are not hampering the project.

Moore, Patricia. "The Arty Life of Walter Netsch." Chicago Daily News (April 20, 1968): 22. 3 il.

Saturday feature on Walter Netsch's art collection, housed then at his apartment at 20 E. Cedar. Reviews major pieces in Netsch's collection and mentions Dawn Clark Netsch, who since their marriage in 1963 "has been given veto power over his art purchases."

“Infirmary Permit, N.U. Library Top Building Volume.” Evanston Review (May 16, 1968). 1 il.

“Dedication Tomorrow: Library Creator to Speak.” Wells Courier (October 17, 1968). 1 il.

This article discusses the dedication ceremony of the Louis Jefferson Long Library at Wells College (Aurora, NY). Netsch is listed as the primary speaker; his speach is titled "Architecture-Spaces Between." The Netschs plan to donate some felt modern-art banners which were on display for the opening of the library. Students are encouraged to vote on which banners they would like to have.

Lublin, Joann. “Library on its Way, But…” The Daily Northwestern (November 21, 1968). 5 il.

This update on construction of the new library at Northwestern indicates that the towers have been completely enclosed and that plaster work has begun. The $12 million library is expected to open in March, 1970.

Dixon, John Morris. “ Campus City Continued.” Architectural Forum 129, no. 5 (December 1968): cover, 28-43. 16 il. 13 pl. and diagrams.

Assesses Phase I buildings (in particular the Architecture and Art Building) and public spaces at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Reports on controversial elements, such as a widespread perception of a shortage of windows, the campus's "impersonal environment," and complex interior circulation patterns that make finding classrooms and offices difficult. Studios in the Architecture and Art Building are deemed too small. Ends on a positive note, however, with comments on its intriguing geometric spatial arrangement:

A&A is, after all, one part of a much larger work of architecture-the campus. Starting with a blank site barely five years ago, Walter Netsch and his co-workers at SOM have turned it into a place with strong identity. To the students who come here each day, most of them from homes in the anonymous sprawl that separates the Chicago Loop from the prairies, this sense of place is the most valuable gift an architect can offer. (p. 42).

“'First Plan' Progress.”Northwestern Review 3, no. 2 (Winter 1968): 1. 1 il.

This aerial photo shows construction of the Northwestern library in progress. The cost of the library is now cited as $11.6 million, as opposed to an initial figure of $10 million.

1969

Books

Owings, Nathaniel Alexander. The American Aesthetic. Photographs by William Garnett. Introduction by S. Dillon Ripley. New York: Harper & Row, 1969. 198 p. il. maps.

Monograph on beatification, environmental preservation and protection, and city planning in the United States, illustrated by sweeping photos of landscapes and urban sprawl. Owings (1911-83) was Walter Netsch's mentor and primary advocate at SOM. Includes photos of the U.S. Air Force Academy's Cadet Chapel (p. 169-71) and University of Illinois at Chicago's Circle Campus (p. 176-80).

Scully, Vincent. American Architecture and Urbanism. London: Thames and Hudson, 1969. 275 p. il.

Brief mentions of the U.S. Air Force Academy (p. 190, 2 photos) and the "mechanistic" University of Illinois at Chicago Circle Campus (p. 236-37, 1 photo). Calls the Cadet Chapel "wigwammy ... [it] seeks to invoke, a little like late Wright at Elkins Park or at Taliesin itself, the Rocky Mountains' serrated forms." (p. 190). Another edition appeared in 1988.

Articles

Hollister, Hal. “Campus Takes On New Look.” Evanston Review (February 10, 1969). 3 il.

Smith, C. Ray. “Forms as Process: An In-depth Study of Field Theory.” Progressive Architecture 50, no. 3 (March 1969): 94-115. 18 il. 29 plans and diagrams.

Detailed explanation of Walter Netsch's signature Field Theory aesthetical system. Includes illustrations and diagrams, quotes by Netsch on the theory and its usage in planning, stills from an animated color film by Netsch (p. 96-96), and examples of Field Theory buildings. Representative projects include Northwestern University Library, University of Illinois at Chicago, St. Matthew United Methodist Church, Biological Science Building at Northwestern, Basic Science Building at the University of Iowa, Lindheimer Astronomical Research Center at Northwestern (including several full-page color photos), and Wells College Library. According to Netsch:

Field Theory, as a system and of a way of looking, assumes that all actions are not linear, that all forms must be additive, that plans need not be orthogonal (straight-lined) to be useful or active. Field Theory is network oriented rather than structure oriented. It is iconic, volumetric, and spatial. (p. 94).

Grigg, Steven. “ Chicago Circle Campus: A Student’s Questioning View.” Inland Architect 13, no. 4 (April 1969): 18-21.

Appraisal of UIC's Circle Campus, by a 20-year-old fifth-year architecture student. Acknowledges challenges to planning the site and complains about uncovered walkways, poor circulation patterns, and changes to the original "rectilinear system of reinforced concrete buildings." (p. 20). Criticizes rotated-square designs, finding "The new geometry, even if valid on itself (and there is controversy about that), has produced a chaotic visual effect." (p. 20). Concludes:

Although there are many basic problems with the Circle Campus as it exists today, it should be noted that only a fraction of the total campus has been built. If future planning and construction take these problems into account, there are great possibilities for a great campus. If some of the problems are not remedied, then the Circle Campus will become a monument to man's inhumanity to architecture.

Fisher, Dennis. “New NU Library is an ‘Architect’s Dream.’” Chicago Sun-Times (December 26, 1969). 3 il.

This article states the the new Northwestern library is scheduled to open on January 19, 1970. Robert D. Kleinschmidt, senior designer and a colleague of Netsch, is quoted: "This project is an architect's dream. We've designed everything according to a detailed program of what the university wanted ... from landscaping to furniture."

Date last modified:February 22, 2007

Photographs courtesy Northwestern University Archives