Lycée Français de Chicago / STL Architects

Lycée Français de Chicago / STL Architects - Image 2 of 24Lycée Français de Chicago / STL Architects - Exterior Photography, Windows, FacadeLycée Français de Chicago / STL Architects - Exterior Photography, WindowsLycée Français de Chicago / STL Architects - Image 7 of 24Lycée Français de Chicago / STL Architects - More Images+ 19

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Lycée Français de Chicago / STL Architects - Exterior Photography, Facade, Windows
© Ignacio Espigares/STL Architects

Text description provided by the architects. Located in close proximity to the heart of Lincoln Square in Chicago, the new 85,000 SF Lycée Française de Chicago has been conceived as a unique educational campus with light-filled spaces intended to encourage educational discovery and shared environments aimed to celebrate the Lycée’s international community.

Lycée Français de Chicago / STL Architects - Image 2 of 24
© Ignacio Espigares/STL Architects

Sprawling over 3.8 acres, the Lycée campus has been designed to be implemented in phases over the next few years. The first phase of the campus development accommodates core school functions such as academic spaces, administration areas, and a gymnasium. Future phases will incorporate an auditorium, an expanded library, and an arts building. This approach has allowed for financial resources to be incrementally utilized, adding progressive value to the project into the future.

Lycée Français de Chicago / STL Architects - Image 16 of 24
Site Plan

The project's key concept revolves around the creation of a shared learning environment in which to celebrate the vibrant Lycée community. Intended to engage faculty and students across all academic grade levels, this Social Learning Fabric space manifests itself through a majestic four-story open atrium. The spaces held within the atrium foster informal student and faculty interaction. In addition, the space provides a shared sense of social and global responsibility, attributes which are both intrinsic to the Lycée's curriculum and community.

Lycée Français de Chicago / STL Architects - Image 14 of 24
© Ignacio Espigares/STL Architects

The Lycée is situated in one of Chicago’s most dynamic, artistic and culturally relevant neighborhoods, where the school aims to cultivate community partnerships. The campus has a private drive, and college-preparatory facilities equipped to serve up to 800 students with 41 classrooms, laboratories for art, science and music, a cafeteria, a gymnasium, a library, administrative offices, playgrounds, a soccer field, and ample green space for outdoor athletic activities.

Lycée Français de Chicago / STL Architects - Image 17 of 24
First Floor Plan

The Lycée Française de Chicago was the first development project that crossed the desk of the then newly elected 47th Ward Aldernan Ameya Pawar in 2011. The campus has replaced the former Ravenswood Hospital that had been vacant for over a decade. The new LEED certified project has been a welcome addition to the neighborhood, bringing renewed energy to an already thriving area.

Lycée Français de Chicago / STL Architects - Interior Photography
© Ignacio Espigares/STL Architects

Due to the development’s aggressive budgetary objectives, the project has been conceived with extreme efficiencies in mind, making it one of the most cost effective educational projects built in Chicago in the last few years.

Lycée Français de Chicago / STL Architects - Exterior Photography, Windows, Facade
© Ignacio Espigares/STL Architects

It is within the framework of these ambitious budgetary goals that the new Lycée Français de Chicago represents a great example of how a deliberately restrained design approach can produce architecture of outstanding quality, and that an economy of expressive means can generate magnificent architecture rooted in simplicity and in the essential qualities inherent to any great building: light and air, proportion and color, circulation and arrangement.

Lycée Français de Chicago / STL Architects - Image 4 of 24
© Ignacio Espigares/STL Architects

The new campus opened in fall 2015 and coincided with the Lycée Français' 20th anniversary as Chicago’s premiere international educational community.

Lycée Français de Chicago / STL Architects - Image 11 of 24
© Ignacio Espigares/STL Architects

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Project location

Address:1929 W Wilson Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, USA

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Lycée Français de Chicago / STL Architects" 26 Oct 2015. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/775835/lycee-francaise-de-chicago-stl-architects> ISSN 0719-8884

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