Alexandroff Campus Center
600 S. Michigan Ave.| Building Directory | |
| Basement | Follet Student Lounge / Underground Cafe |
| 1st Floor | Ferguson Leature Hall / Museum of Contemporary Photography / Admissions Tour Center |
| 2nd Floor | Computer Lab / New Millennium Studies: The First-Year Seminar / Graduate School / Museum of Contemporary Photography |
| 3rd Floor | Admissions / Student Financial Services / Cashier |
| 4th Floor | Institutional Advancement / Payroll / Purchasing / Accounting |
5th Floor | Academic Affairs / Administrative Offices / Office of the Provost/ Office of President/ VP of Finance/ VP of Campus Environment/ VP of Academic Affairs / Institutional Research and Planning |
| 6th Floor | Student Accounts Processors / Records/ IT |
7th Floor | Television Facilities/ Office of Transfer Evaluations |
8th Floor | Faculty Center / CIT /Center for Teaching Excellence / VP General Counsel / Webmaster / Office of Instructional Records |
| 9th Floor | Film / Video Audio Suite/ Academic Initiatives/ International Prog./ Dean of Fine & Performing Arts |
| 10th Floor | Photography Lab |
| 11th Floor | Digital Imaging Lab |
12th Floor | AV Center / Photography Department/ Darkrooms |
| 13th Floor | Creative and Print Services / TV Classrooms / Graduate Photagraphy Darkrooms |
| 14th Floor | Television |
| 15th Floor | Television |
History
Columbia College's Main Building was built in 1906-1907 by Christian A. Eckstorm, an architect popular for his industrial and warehouse designs, to serve as the headquarters of the International Harvester Company. 600 S. Michigan was a modern skyscraper of its era, built with a steel skeleton, high-speed elevators, electric light, the most advanced mechanical systems available and a floor plan designed to maximize natural light for all of its interior office spaces. The 15-story brick-clad building with classical stone detailing has an Art Deco lobby that retains much of its original marble. In 1937 the building was purchased by the Fairbanks-Morse Company, makers of railroad engines, farm equipment and hydraulic systems. It was acquired by Columbia College in 1974. In its early years as the home of Columbia, it was adaptively reused to house classrooms, the library, darkrooms, studios, and an auditorium. When the campus expanded through the acquisition of other buildings, especially after 1990, some of these functions, such as the greatly expanded library, were moved to other locations, and the spaces were again adapted for new uses. The building continues to serve as the administrative center of the college, and houses the Museum of Contemporary Photography on its first two floors, along with the 180-seat Ferguson Memorial Theater, photography darkrooms, two professional television studios, film/video editing facilities, and classrooms.
Description
The 600 South Michigan Building is a 15 story with basement metal frame structure, faced with Bedford limestone on the first three floors of its Michigan Avenue and Harrison Street frontages, with brick on its upper floors and side elevations. Stone trim is used for window sills and on the upper floors, which are crowned by a massive stone cornice.