ORAL HISTORY of D. STANTON KORISTA Interviewed by Betty J
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ORAL HISTORY OF D. STANTON KORISTA Interviewed by Betty J. Blum Compiled under the auspices of the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries The Art Institute of Chicago Copyright © 2009 This manuscript is hereby made available for research purposes only. All literary rights in the manuscript, including the right to publication, are reserved to the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries of The Art Institute of Chicago. No part of the manuscript may be quoted for publication without the written permission of The Art Institute of Chicago. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface iv Outline of Topics vi Oral History 1 Selected References 280 Biographical Profile 282 Appendix: Technical Publications 284 Index of Names and Buildings 288 iii PREFACE In his own words, Stan Korista describes his mission as director of structural and civil engineering at SOM, "I make sure the plans we make allow for a structurally sound building. I also make sure that our plans are being followed on the construction site. I consider it a sort of moral responsibility to make sure it's built right." It is this commitment to high quality architecture and engineering that Korista has practiced throughout his 43-year career at SOM. A quick glance at his CV reveals a rich and varied career with projects that include cutting-edge super tall structures in locations worldwide; master planning; medical, academic, transportation and sports facilities. Stan appreciates the career he has had constructing challenging super tall structures and working with the foremost SOM designers of the day. Further, Stan has been a prolific writer of technical papers, often with colleagues, that he and others presented at conferences. Korista is licensed in forty-one states as well as in the European Union and the United Kingdom. To record Korista's voluminous memories of his forty-three years at SOM, we met in a conference room at The Art Institute of Chicago on February 4, 5, 11, and 12, 2009 where we tape-recorded seven and one/half hours of Stan's recollections on five ninety-minute cassettes. The transcription has been minimally edited to maintain the spirit, tone and flow of Stan's original narrative, and has been reviewed for accuracy and clarity by both Stan and me. Published material that I found helpful in my preparation of this interview is appended to this document. It was Stan's wish to also include a list of some of the technical papers he wrote and/or authored with colleagues that were delivered at conferences and/or were published (Appendix, p. 284). This oral history is available for study in the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries at The Art Institute of Chicago, as well as in a downloadable version from the Chicago Architects Oral History Project web page, http://digital-libraries.saic.edu/cdm4/index_caohp.php?CISOROOT=/caohp Thanks go to many people whose contribution has been essential to the completion of this document. First, my sincere appreciation goes to Stanton Korista for his willingness to share his personal and professional memories with candor and thoughtfulness of the iv people, issues and events he experienced while at SOM. To those at SOM who generously supported Korista's oral history, we are grateful, especially to Craig Hartman, who has been our liaison throughout this undertaking. The staff at SOM deserve thanks for their prompt and efficient assistance, especially that of Maria Nano, who worked with Stan to develop the list of technical papers, Karen Widi who gave me access to a few publications from the SOM library; as well as the library staff at the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries: Amy Ballmer, Melanie Emerson, and Susan Augustine with the helpful direction of Mary Woolever, Art and Architecture Archivist, and Jack Brown, Director of the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries. Essential to processing this document in its many phases has been the cooperation of Donna Forrest, Michal Schwartz and Sanna Evans in the Copy Center at the Art Institute of Chicago, for which we are appreciative. Last but not least, we are grateful for the contribution of our transcriber, Kathy Zvanovec who, with her careful handling, transformed this document from tape to type. Betty J. Blum September 2009 v OUTLINE OF TOPICS Why Stan Became an Engineer 2 Study at Bradley University 4 Study and Research at University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana 8 Various Jobs 10 Mentors and Heroes 13 At SOM: Working With Several Design Architects 16 Work With Myron Goldsmith 32 Social Issues of the Sixties 42, 50 Developers 47 Another Project With Myron Goldsmith 51 Projects With Walter Netsch 56 Outdoor Sculpture 71 University of Illinois, Chicago Campus and Other Projects 85 Work With Bruce Graham on Projects Worldwide 98 Work With Adrian Smith in Boston 131 New Technology: Using the Computer 144 A Fabric Roof Structure in Minneapolis 163 The Influence of Fazlur Khan 171 Large Projects 173 Where to Next for SOM? 174 More About Computers 178 A Bit of History 180 The Institute for Architecture and Urbanism 187 How SOM Handled the Slump of the Early 1990s 195 Competition for a Tower To Be Built in Shanghai 198 Historic Preservation 200 Green Architecture 204 The Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai 207 Trump Tower in Chicago 233 Another Competition: the Burj Dubai with Adrian Smith 256 vi Pearl River Tower: a Very Green Building 264 Looking Back 270 Advice to Next Generation of Engineers 274 How Shall We Remember Stan Korista? 276 vii D. STANTON KORISTA Blum: In his own words, Stan Korista describes his work at SOM, when he was director of structural and civil engineering: “I make sure the plans we make allow for a structurally sound building. I also make sure that our plans are being followed on the construction site. I consider it a sort of moral responsibility to make sure it’s built right.” This is the commitment to quality architecture and engineering that Stan Korista has practiced throughout his forty-three year career at SOM. A quick glance at his CV reveals a rich and varied career, with projects that include cutting-edge super tall structures in worldwide locations; master planning; medical, academic, transportation, and sports facilities. Korista is licensed in forty-one states as well as the European Union and the United Kingdom. His memories of forty-three years at SOM, in the second half of the twentieth century, is what we’re here today to record. Today is February 4, 2009, and I’m with Mr. D. Stanton Korista in a conference room in Ryerson and Burnham Libraries at the Art Institute. What does the D stand for? Korista: D stands for a word in Czechoslovakian which is Dromher, probably there’s not another one of those in the world. 1 Blum: Was that a given name? Korista: That was a given name, a family name. Blum: D-R-O-M-E-R? [spells] Korista: D-R-O-H-M-E-R. [spells] Blum: I see, but you use the initial on your official papers. Korista: I use the initial, but basically I go by Stan. Blum: That’s how I’ve heard others refer to you, as Stan. Why did you select the field of architecture, with a focus on engineering, for your life's work? Korista: Because as I grew up I always was interested in building things. When I was in high school I lived on my grandparents' farm, and we built several barns and sheds, and it just got me interested in building. And I learned in high school, being interested in science and math, that civil engineers tend to build things. Blum: What did you think civil engineers did? 2 Korista: I thought civil engineers were the ones responsible for bridges, for buildings, for dams, and all those things sounded like outdoor activities, which I loved, and it was also building things. Blum: When you were a child, if you can remember back that far, did you play with blocks, Lincoln Logs, toys that you could build with? Korista: I'm sure I did. Although I don't have great things, my greatest memory was when I was in the latter part of grade school and high school and building barns on a small farm southwest of Chicago. Blum: Did you know what architecture was all about? Korista: I knew what architecture generally was, but certainly when I was an undergraduate, I didn't have a good grasp of architecture and the integration of architecture and what finally turned out to be structural engineering. This is only one of many categories of what's called civil engineering. Blum: What did your father do? Korista: My father actually worked in an office, business management in a banking institution here in Chicago. Blum: And your mother, did she work outside the home? 3 Korista: My mother was an elementary school teacher. Blum: Did you have any mentors who encouraged you in the direction you thought you wanted to go? Korista: I would have to say that probably there were mentors more in the science and math areas in high school, in chemistry and physics. When I went to college, I pretty much wanted to take it upon myself to get into… civil engineering? I didn't know, particularly, civil engineers or do we have any in our family. It was just the act of being actively involved in building new things. Blum: You said you did not have any model to follow who was close to you. Korista: No. I followed my own star, I guess. Blum: When you were ready to select a college, why did you select Bradley University [Peoria, Illinois]? Korista: Bradley University was a mid-size, Midwestern school.