(p1. opens letter, 968 kB)On Tuesday, October 20, 2009, “A Letter Jointly Written by Concerned Citizens and Organizations” was sent to Chicago’s Mayor Richard M. Daley.  This powerful statement, which encourages Chicago to halt the demolition and make a sound choice concerning the fate of Walter Gropius’s work (and other key assets at Michael Reese Hospital), was signed by an unprecedented consortium of parties in the architecture, history, planning, and design communities.

We will be issuing a second version of this letter shortly, and request for all who care about Walter Gropius’s work and sound planning for Chicago’s future to sign.  In particular, we are encouraging firms, practices, organizations, and large establishments to sign the letter and / or become a sponsor by adding a logo.  We already are receiving signatures from around the world, and need to hear from you.  Please contact us at inquiries@savemrh.com.

To read the first version of the jointly written appeal to Chicago, please click here(Adobe .PDF, 968 kB).  Many other letters of support have been shared with the Gropius in Chicago Coalition, which are found on our page for letters of support.

~    ~     ~

Signatories to the first letter include:

(p2. opens letter - 968 kB)

• Royce Yeater - Midwest Director, National Trust for Historic Preservation
• Zurich Esposito - Executive Vice President, American Institute of Architects Chicago
• Dirk Lohan - Principal, Lohan Anderson
• John Vinci - Principal, Vinci-Hamp Architects
• Grahm Mathew Balkany - Director, Gropius in Chicago Coalition
• James Peters - President, Landmarks Illinois
• Jonathan P. Fine - Executive Director, Preservation Chicago
• Dietrich Neumann - President, Society of Architectural Historians
• Kyle Normandin - Secretary General, ICOMOS-ISC20c
• Gunny M. Harboe - Director, Docomomo_US
• Devin Colman - Acting President, Recent Past Preservation Network
• Susan Benjamin - President, Benjamin Historic Certifications
• Karen L. Stonehouse - President, American Planning Association, Illinois Chapter
• John Pardey - Principal, John Pardey Architects
• Joe Kunkel - President, Chicago Bauhaus and Beyond
• Christine French - Director, Modernism + Recent Past Initiative, National Trust for Historic Preservation

The Gropius in Chicago Coalition is profoundly grateful for this exceptional showing of support.  In addition to our wonderful past supporters, we in particular wish to thank new leadership that has emerged for this letter: 

• The American Planning Association - Chicago Chapter, leaders in the field of planning.
• The Society of Architectural Historians (main chapter), the most important group in the United States focused on architectural history.  (The Chicago Chapter of SAH is a supporter to the GCC.)
• Dirk Lohan of Lohan Anderson, world-regarded Chicago architect and grandson of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.
• John Vinci of Vinci-Hamp, one of Chicago’s premiere architecture and design practices and one of Chicago’s pioneers in the field of architectural preservation.
• Docomomo_US, the US Chapter of the important international modernist preservation group.  (The Chicago_Midwest Chapter of Docomomo is a supporter to the GCC.)

Last, we wish to thank each of you in advance for joining us in our second letter to the mayor’s office.