A winning bid of $2705 was placed on eBay for the opportunity to shatter the first pane of glass removed from S. R. Crown Hall as part of the 17 May 2005 "Smash Bash," the kick off for the historic renovation of the Ludwig Mies van der Rohe-designed National Historic Landmark at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). The renovation coincides with the 50th anniversary celebration of this Modernist architectural icon. Granted National Landmark status in 2001, Crown Hall is an icon of the Modernist style in its classical post-war phase. S. R. Crown Hall was completed in 1956 as the centerpiece of Mies campus master plan and houses IITs College of Architecture.The renovation of S.R. Crown Hall will begin with shattering the entire glass façade in an unedifying act of cheap publicity-seeking.Something about this disgusting spectacle seems to sum up the trashy wasteful throw-away attitudes of Modernism. Though I'm no modernist, I can't take any delight in the thought of hundreds of square metres of plate glass being destroyed for the edification of a few idiots. Even our opponents deserve more respect than this.
Thanks to Dr Matthew Hardy
