Looking back on 40 years of the James R. Thompson Center
October 24, 2024
Earlier this year, filmmaker Nathan Eddy released “The Dream Was What Mattered,” a stunning 8-minute portrait of the James R. Thompson Center. Through sweeping drone footage and archival materials, Eddy meticulously documents the building’s public spaces and lesser-known corners — from its spacious atrium to its mechanical rooms — in the months before construction began on the redevelopment of this iconic building.
2025 will mark 40 years since the Thompson Center first opened as the State of Illinois Center. Although it sparked much conversation and debate at the time, it proved to be a game changer for our firm — a building that allowed us to test new ideas and push the boundaries of what a government building should be. A building for the people, by the people.
In anticipation of this milestone year, we’ve explored our own archives to uncover rare images that memorialize our firm’s approach to the Thompson Center’s original design. We look forward to sharing this content with you over the coming months.
In the meantime, we invite you to experience “The Dream Was What Mattered,” a film by Nathan Eddy, to understand the building as it was originally designed. You can find it below or here.