Architect selected for Kellogg building

The architect for a new building for the Kellogg School has been selected, University and Kellogg officials announced Oct. 6. Kellogg’s new global hub on the Evanston lakefront will be designed by the highly regarded firm Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg (KPMB) Architects. The design process will begin immediately for the building, which will create a dynamic, state-of-the-art presence for Kellogg on Northwestern’s Evanston campus.

The new building will be located adjacent to the Allen Center, which is used for executive education and executive MBA classes. It will include classrooms, community gathering spaces, flexible learning environments, and faculty and administrative offices.

“KPMB was the unanimous choice for this project,” said Dean Sally Blount. “I’m confident the firm will help us build a one-of-a-kind, global hub that transforms our community and represents the power of the Kellogg brand in the 21st century.”

KPMB’s selection is the culmination of a six-month-long architect competition, which evaluated the proposals of nearly 20 firms. The pool was ultimately narrowed down to five finalist firms. “In the end, KPMB was chosen due to its creativity, track record and innovative approach,” said Gordon Segal, who chairs the Northwestern University Board of Trustees’ Educational Properties Committee.

Added Northwestern President Morton Schapiro: “The Kellogg building will no doubt be another gem on the Northwestern University campus—a destination for business and civic leaders from around the world.”

In a joint statement, firm partners Bruce Kuwabara and Marianne McKenna said, “KPMB is honored to be part of the Northwestern University and Kellogg School of Management team to create a unique design that responds to the extraordinary lakefront site and embodies the future of Kellogg: fluid, connected, collaborative, edgy, welcoming, flexible and global.”

About Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects
KPMB is one of North America’s premier architecture studios. Founded in 1987 by Bruce Kuwabara, Thomas Payne, Marianne McKenna and Shirley Blumberg, KPMB has formed an alternative model to either the sole practitioner or the large corporate firm, and is instead based on intensive, collaborative, integrated team work. The office and its portfolio of work have grown in terms of diversity and quality, enabling it to attract exceptional clients across North America and Europe. Currently, KPMB is creating architecture for Princeton University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Minnesota Orchestra, the Art Gallery of Saskatchewan and the University of Toronto and has been recognized with over 100 Awards for design excellence from the American Institute of Architects, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Urban Lands Institute and the Chicago Athenaeum among others. To learn more, visit  www.kpmbarchitects.com

Media inquiries can be referred to Megan Washburn at 847.491.5446 or Alan Cubbage at 847.491.4886.