The original quadrangles were designed by Henry Ives Cobb in 1892 after the buildings of Oxford and Cambridge in England, and medieval cathedrals in France. Since that time, the University has undergone successive changes. Some architects have adhered to the Gothic style while others have strayed as far as possible from its associated rigidity.
This exhibition, in addition to displaying Cobb’s original designs for the quadrangles, features the drawings for the School of Social Services Administration by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and the Administration Building by Holabird, Root and Burgee. The exhibition also explores the evolution in technique through the years from traditional pencil drawings with watercolor to reverse mylars, markers, colored pencils, and Photostats, which are often influenced by contemporary art.