Freemasons For Dummies: AASR Valley of Chicago To Build New HQ

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

AASR Valley of Chicago To Build New HQ

The Scottish Rite Valley of Chicago has announced the finalization of plans for their new headquarters in Bloomingdale, Illinois. Building Design and Construction magazine features an article about the new building on its website. According to the story, construction will be completed by next year. The 62,000 square foot facility will include a 250 seat auditorium, a 90-seat lodge hall, dining room, bar, game room, library, museum, learning center, offices, and a board room. A two-story gallery will feature embossed copper medallions embedded in the floor, symbolizing the 33 degrees.

The Legat Architects website features more renderings of the design.

The Valley's executive secretary is quoted in the article as saying, “The new headquarters of the Scottish Rite Valley of Chicago will be a stupendous monument of architecture." It is perhaps worth looking at the building they moved out of in 1996.

7 comments:

Fuzzy CurmudgeonWed Apr 29, 10:04:00 AM 2009
That's no stupendous monument of architecture. I'm sorry, but that thing looks like a community arts center.
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Daniel LewisWed Apr 29, 01:48:00 PM 2009
Hey it's exciting that there will be a brand new building made for Masonry, the architecture isn't the greatest... but I'm sure it'll be good to have something new. It does look as if it'll make a good conference centre (for any kind of conferences).
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Christopher HodappWed Apr 29, 03:18:00 PM 2009
I agree. It's exciting to read that a Masonic group is actually building a facility instead of selling one.
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Fuzzy CurmudgeonWed Apr 29, 04:23:00 PM 2009
FWIW, my sole objection is to the hyperbole employed.
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UnknownThu Apr 30, 02:30:00 PM 2009
Given a choice I would have chosen the old one.
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TMark WamackThu Apr 30, 02:37:00 PM 2009
Chris beat me to the punch, but it's nice to see masonic structures going up. Whether it is my little lodge hall in west-central Flyover (120'x40') or a grand Scottish Rite home in Chicago, it beats the fact that the Valley of Toledo (Ohio) just gave up their facility because of the inabilty to keep it up.

TMark Wamack, KYCH
Current and Past Master of Senate Lodge #378 in Forest, Ohio
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tickingTue May 05, 08:17:00 PM 2009
I see little to brag about when you sell such a historical piece of architecture to build a non-architectural style of glass... shame, shame, shame.
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