Bardeen Quadrangle

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Also called Engineering Quad, Bardeen Quad honors Professor John Bardeen (1908-1991), former dean of the college and professor of both Electrical Engineering and Physics. Bardeen is the first person to win two Nobel prizes in physics — one for the invention of the transistor, and one for the theory of superconductivity.

Bardeen Quad is the central location for Engineering Open House, the largest science fair in the United States attracting more than 35,000 attendees in recent years. The entirely student-run, annual event has taken place for more than 100 years and always occurs during the spring. 

Artwork: Mananaan Sculpture

The 26-foot-tall abstract steel sculpture in Bardeen Quad is named “Mananaan” for the mythical Irish god of the sea. Created by metal sculptor Alexander Liberman, the cylinder piece resembles a telescope while the oval ribbon of steel appears as a gigantic eye looking upward.

Email grainger-marcom@illinois.edu with questions or feedback.