As 2025’s graduation ceremonies commence and students flock to the Great Hall with their families, we unveil the fascinating history of the campus centrepiece.

The Great Hall was built for the 1964-1965 World’s Fair. It’s the design of noted architect Wallace Harrison, who was also lead architect for the United Nations Headquarters.

The Foellinger Great Hall has a sound reverb time of around 2.9 seconds, according to Scholwin, which is akin to larger cathedrals and lets the sound travel until it dies naturally. “Any time you ...

Bassist Zach Moore and cellist Dorothy Carlos perform with an ensemble Lia Kohl’s composition, “Music for Union Station,” at the Union Station Great Hall, May 15, 2025, in Chicago.