Northrop Mall, Minneapolis

Nestled in the heart of the University of Minnesota’s campus, Northrop Mall is a masterclass in grand, Beaux-Arts-style campus planning. This sweeping, orderly green space reflects the “City Beautiful” movement-a period when university campuses were getting serious about looking good while growing bigger.

The story begins with architect Cass Gilbert, who skyrocketed to fame with his design for the Minnesota State Capitol. In 1908, Gilbert’s vision won out in a campus master plan competition. His design, inspired by Beaux-Arts principles, aimed to corral the growing number of academic departments and their corresponding buildings into a harmonious and stately arrangement. It was a hot trend at the time: the University of California at Berkeley had kicked things off with Beaux-Arts planning in 1899, and other universities were eager to follow suit.

Gilbert’s plan started taking shape in 1910 with the construction of Smith Hall, designed by Saint Paul’s Clarence Johnston Sr., who would go on to leave his mark on many of the mall’s structures. By 1920, the university brought on local landscape architects Morell and Nichols to make the campus greenery just as grand as the architecture. This partnership lasted until 1951, and the mall’s transformation continued until 1971, when the final building was completed, cementing the historic district’s status.

Today, Northrop Mall is the academic and social hub of campus life. It’s framed by some of the university’s most iconic buildings: Northrop (formerly Northrop Auditorium) to the north, Coffman Memorial Union to the south, and the formidable trio of Vincent Hall, Tate Laboratory, and Smith Hall lining the sides. Walter Library rounds out the picture with a stately presence. This prime piece of real estate also houses the College of Liberal Arts-Minnesota’s largest college-and the College of Science and Engineering, making Northrop Mall both an intellectual and architectural powerhouse.