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The Robert H. Lurie Engineering Center (LEC) was made possible by an extraordinary gift to the University of Michigan from the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Family Foundation. The Regents named the building in honor of Robert H. Lurie in recognition of the long term relationship between the Lurie family and the University of Michigan.
College of Engineering alumnus Robert H. Lurie (BSE IOE '64, MSE '66) began his highly successful professional career during his undergraduate years when he, together with fellow U-M student and life-long friend and business partner, Sam Zell (AB '63, JD '66), acquired and managed a number of Ann Arbor rental properties. Twenty-five years later, Lurie and Zell were recognized broadly as one of America's most remarkable business partnerships. At the time of his death in 1990, Mr. Lurie was president of Equity Group Investments and Great American Management Investment, and part owner and member of the Board of Directors of both the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago White Sox. He also owned, or was a major stockholder in, several publicly and privately owned companies.
Architects
LEC was designed by the late Charles W. Moore (BArch '47, Hon PhD Arch '92) of Moore/Andersson Architects of Austin, Texas. One of the world's leading architects, Dr. Moore was hailed by the New York Times as the Pied Piper of Post-Modernism who viewed architecture as "the choreography of the familiar and the surprising." Moore completed the designs for LEC and its companion structure, the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Tower, shortly before his death in December 1993. His partner, Arthur Andersson, advanced and interpreted Moore's vision to successful completion of Moore's final major built works. Hobbs + Black Associates, the Ann Arbor-based national architectural firm, provided local oversight.
Design Features
The architecture of the Robert H. Lurie Engineering Center creates a focal landmark for the College of Engineering as it fosters connections between LEC, new outdoor spaces, and pre-existing buildings. Brick porticos, a ceremonial stair, and a formal axis through the building create a connection with adjacent academic spaces and buildings, while distinguishing LEC from its surroundings. The main axis through the building leads to the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Tower, creating a dramatic terminus and completing a formal architectural gesture for North Campus.
The 60,000 square foot development is segmented for its primary functions. Administrative and student service groupings are on the ground and first floors, the Dean's Suite and accompanying offices on the second floor, and a faculty lounge and several meeting/dining rooms on the third floor. A large conference room on the top floor presents panoramic views to the campus below.
Building Elements
Special Finishes
Principal materials consist of brick and tile, terrazzo floors in the lobby, a copper cornice and roof, stainless steel grand stair, and a stainless steel and wood reception desk. Anigre, an African hardwood, lends a warm presence in several locations. At the primary (west) entrance, an alcove dedicated to the memory of Robert H. Lurie features a stainless steel bust pedestal and symbolic bronze entry door pulls.
Artwork
The Robert H. Lurie Engineering Center artwork collection is comprised of works by Contemporary American artists using varied mediums with an emphasis on printmaking. Several styles of artwork are represented, including abstract expressionism, non-objective, minimalism, pop, and realism. Each artwork is placed to enhance the work and study environment and to allow the piece to be seen at its best. As an enrichment and educational aid, each artwork is labeled with the artist's name, title of the work, name of the donor, date of the artwork's execution, medium(s), dimensions, printer/publisher, and comments about the artist and the particular piece or series.
The College of Engineering Art Acquisition Program was initiated in 1985-86 through a gift from Margaret and Robert G. Hargrove (BSE ME '47) to provide artworks for the Dean's offices in the EECS Building. Additional gifts have made it possible to expand the collection to its current level; but, the LEC artwork collection is built on the Hargroves' foundation and reflects in its entirety the predominate art influences of the late 1980s. During that period, Ken Tyler at Tyler Graphics, Ltd., invited Helen Frankenthaler, David Hockney, Robert Motherwell, Frank Stella, and other prominent artists to his workshop in Mt. Kisco, New York. They collaborated to create editions using handmade paper the size of large canvases and integrated etching, aquatint, lithography, screenprinting, woodcut, die-cut collage, dyed paper pulp, and hand coloring. Print editions created at Tyler Graphics and other renowned workshops, such as Echo Press, Landfall Press, Pace Editions, Petersburg Press, and Tandem Press, comprise the core of the LEC collection. A more recent major gift from Sue and John Ullrich (BSE '62, MSE '63, PhD '67) largely provided the collection throughout the third-floor Masco Common Rooms.
Many of the College's historical artifacts have been restored and installed on the ground level and first floor of LEC. Portions of this collection will grow and change over time as our long and valued history is told.
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