Weese, Harry Mohr

▪ 1999

      American architect (b. June 30, 1915, Evanston, Ill.—d. Oct. 29, 1998, Manteno, Ill.), designed the subway system in Washington, D.C., considered one of the most remarkable public-works projects of the 20th century, and played a prominent role in the planning and architecture of Chicago. Following graduation (B.A., 1938) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Weese studied city planning under Eliel Saarinen at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Though Weese cofounded an architectural firm in 1941, his career was interrupted by World War II service in the navy. Two years after his discharge (1945), Weese opened his own Chicago-based firm and soon began shaping the city's skyline. He was one of the first major architects to foster historic preservation and renovated numerous landmarks, including Adler and Sullivan's Auditorium Theatre and the Field Museum of Natural History. In addition, he created designs for such buildings as the Metropolitan Corrections Center, a concrete tower whose irregularly spaced slit windows made it resemble a computer punch card, and helped redesign the city's lakefront. Rather than revealing a trademark style, Weese's work reflected his attention to setting, historical relations, and functional requirements. His design style was best evidenced in Washington's 160-km (100-mi) subway system, which, with spectacular concrete vaults and rippling lights at each station, had both awed and delighted commuters since its opening in 1976. Weese's other works include the Arena Stage theatre in Washington, D.C., which featured the pioneering use of functional elements, such as lighting apparatus and catwalks as aesthetic features, and the Time and Life Building in Chicago.

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