As one of the original buildings on Iowa’s campus, Gilmore Hall offers a tangible connection to the university’s past and highlights its rich architectural heritage. Its upcoming renovation, says University of Iowa President Barbara Wilson, will adapt it thoughtfully for Tippie’s new chapter.
“To support our growing Tippie College of Business programs, we are restoring a historic structure and connecting it to an updated, more recent iconic building,” she says. “In doing so, we are both honoring our past and advancing the future’s leading edge.”
Gilmore Hall has links to some of America’s most distinctive history: It’s an example of neoclassical style, an architectural movement that gained notice at the influential 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. Built in 1910, Gilmore was created as part of a larger campus master plan by the Olmsted Firm, a company best known for its design of New York City’s Central Park. The building extended the Pentacrest’s classical grandeur and was the first dedicated home of the University of Iowa College of Law. It also served as a signal of the university’s growing ambitions.
With this project, it will again.
SUSTAINABILITY, BUILT IN FROM THE START
While Tippie’s enrollment growth and curricular advances necessitate updates, UI Senior Vice President and University Architect Rod Lehnertz says these improvements will be done with intention. “The care and stewardship of our facilities is an important responsibility that we have to the university and the people of Iowa,” he says.
“We have looked at many alternatives for how we can maximize the space that we have and do it in a way that is sustainable, coherent, and honors current buildings.”
For example, the renovation paves the way for significant functional updates, says UI Senior Design Project Manager Martha Stoakes, who notes that Gilmore will gain updated windows, mechanical and electrical systems, plumbing, and insulation, which will support improved energy efficiency.
At the same time, the renovation will maintain and even restore some of the building’s most beautiful original elements, including its striking limestone and marble exterior. Fire escapes and an elevator lobby that were added to the exterior of Gilmore to meet accessibility standards will be relocated inside to restore the building’s original silhouette. Also, skylights that were removed from the building will be reintroduced during the renovation.
Early plans have already earned the backing of some of the college’s biggest champions: The Tippie family has invested $20 million to support the efforts, and the school is well over halfway to its fundraising goals. Groundbreaking on the work could begin as soon as fall of 2026, with a goal of getting into the new space in 2028.
Please join us in bringing this vision to life!
Related stories:
Designed for maximum impact
Building our future
How students will benefit
Take a look inside
This article appeared in the Fall 2025 issue of Tippie Magazine.
Early conceptual design renderings by Neumann Monson Architects.