Northwestern chooses plan to replace Prentice Women's Hospital CHICAGO, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Northwestern University chose a plan by a Chicago architectural firm focusing on "elegant design and functionality" for a new biomedical research building. The building, designed by Perkins+Will, is set to be built on Superior Street at the site of the Prentice Women's Hospital, which was torn down to make room for the new project, the Chicago Tribune reported. The demolition of the hospital was criticized by about 80 architects, who signed a petition to protect the building designed by Bertrand Goldberg in 1970s. Ralph Johnson, design director of Perkins+Will, said he didn't sign the petition to save the building, which he called a "very complicated issue." It's a very landlocked site that the university wanted to build a lab space on, and there really weren't any alternative sites. It really couldn't be modified because of its shape," he said. The new building will be connected on each floor to the neighboring Lurie Medical Research Center and will offer flexible floor plans to allow for changes in the future. "The combination of the elegant design and the functionality of the floor plans were key," said Northwestern spokesman Alan Cubbage. Construction on the $370 million project is expected to begin in early 2015 and finish by late 2018 or early 2019, the Tribune said.