University of California Berkeley - Blue and Gold Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

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BuUdlm on the ext to Sather Tower, the most notable features on campus this year were towering cranes constructing numerous new buildings all over campus. These new structures are chang- ing the face of UC Berkeley, ushering it into the twenty-first century. ♦ It was in the nineteenth century that the first campus building. South Hall, was built. Opened in 1874, today it houses the School of Library and Information Studies. Just after the turn of the century, Phoebe Apperson Hearst, a benefactor of the university, created and funded an international contest for campus architectural designs. Emile Benard of Paris won the competition and his building plans were executed by John Galen Howard. The structures built during his tenure are Neoclassical in style and include the Hearst Greek Theatre (1903), California Hall (1905), Gilman Hall (1917), and Hilgard Hall (1918). Also, in 1913, Sather Gate was erected and in 1914, Sather Tower, Berkeley ' s most distinctive landmark, was completed. It was quickly nicknamed the Campanile because of its resemblance to the campanile in St. Mark ' s Plaza in Venice, Italy. ♦ Now, the same spirit of growth and progress that inspired the wave of construction early in this century has seized the university again. All of this construction is going on right now because of the success of the ' Keeping the Promise ' fundraising campaign. A lot of money came in very quicklv, enabling us to proceed with projects that hiue been planned for a long time, said Jeffrey Gee, Director of Design and Project Manager. The most visible construction work is being done on Doe and Moffitt Libraries, the centerpieces of the campus. The libraries are being seismically upgraded and connected together by a four-story underground structure. Additionally, a central glade is being created. When you walk out the north door of Doe Librar , the whole area will be lawn, with no buildings, said Gee. The work is being funded by $46.5 million in state dollars and will be completed in the winter of 1995. ♦ The huge, tangled Dwinelle Hall is being expanded to include two new floors that will relieve office cramping, as well as state-of- the-art computer communication. On the east side of campus, new research centers, computer labs, classrooms, and faculty offices are being added to the Haas School of Business. Eshleman Hall, McCone Hall, and Northgafe Hall are all currently undergoing seismic improvements. Another project being undertaken for safety reasons is the installation of larger fire sprinklers and fire alarms in Eshleman Hall and Martin Luther King Student Union. This is the only current construction being financed by student fees, according to Gee. ♦ Several new buildings are being constructed to house science programs. For example, seven-story Soda Hall is being built just west of Northgate Hall and will contain the Computer Coittimied on paj e W Comtruction cranes or the new Haas School o ) Bu6ine66 loom over the Campanile. Photo by Amir Ra i ConsTKiicTion hmms Cat ' s leaacy lino The Twremy- cemiiKv. hv lube Meha Archilecltirc ♦ 9

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« ♦ ludaii Life

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Science Division and other College of Engineering programs. Funded by private donations, the structure will be ready in late summer 1 994. Just south of Hearst Mining Circle, the new Tan Hall will offer new labs, classrooms, offices, and storage space for the Chemistry and Chemical Engineering departments when it is finished in spring 1996. The current renovation of the Val- ley Life Sciences Building is the fourth project undertaken to upgrade the bio- logical sciences programs. This $73 mil- lion project is slated for completion by early 1995. ♦ Throughout the year, some students were bothered by the presence of the large, unsightly construction vehicles, the massive amount of dust cre- ated by the work, and the necessity of taking long, confusing pedestrian routes across campus. ♦ It ' s really inconvenient forme because 1 have to walk across campus and the construction only adds to the distance, said Elya Dominguez, a junior Business major. Students living in the dorms were even more directly affected bv the construction. In fall 1993, the Underhill Parking Structure and the field atop it were destroyed because of structural problems. It was re- placed by a parking lot with a 500-car capacity. Resi- dents of Unit 2 were subject to loud construction noises for the duration of this work. ♦ Underhill was a real inconvenience. Especially when it was hot and we wanted the windows open. Then we couldn ' t study in our own rooms or even get a good night ' s sleep because of the noise, said Araz Marachelian, a resident of Unit 2. ♦ While the playing field atop Underhill is now gone, two new fields are being constructed at Strawberry Field, north of Memorial Stadium. Meanwhile, Unit 1 residents had to put up with the Underhill project as well as seismic improvements and interior renovations being made to their own residence complex throughout the vear. The new buildings will soon become familiar landmarks of the Berkeley landscape first envisioned by a French ar- chitect nearly 100 years ago. The additions reflect the ever-increasing aca- demic opportunities of this university, while South Hall remains a solid reminder of the university ' s physical beginnings as well as the cornerstone of quality its educational system is based upon. W Student Life