Watterson Towers, Student residence hall at Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois.
Watterson Towers is a student residence hall at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois, made up of two connected towers. The two towers together contain ten separate residential communities, each organized around shared common spaces and grouped suites.
The residence hall opened in 1968 and was named after Arthur W. Watterson, who led the university's Geography department from 1951 to 1966. The twin-tower design was part of a broader effort to house a growing student population at Illinois State University.
The residential communities inside the towers each have their own common spaces, giving each floor a distinct feel from the others. Students tend to spend time in these shared areas, which makes the building feel more like a small neighborhood than a single dormitory.
The towers span 28 floors and are connected internally, so it helps to get a sense of the layout before moving between sections. The building has dining areas, study spaces, and laundry facilities, meaning most daily needs can be handled without leaving.
The building is considered the tallest structure between Chicago and St. Louis, which makes it visible from a long distance across the flat central Illinois landscape. On clear days, the view from the upper floors stretches far out over the surrounding prairie.
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