University Hall: Renovation and Preservation
University Hall is undergoing a 26-million-dollar renovation project. As a historic building on Purdue’s flagship campus, University Hall will now have a more modern feel and look while preserving some of its historical and architectural elements. University opened for the first day of classes and has a dedication scheduled for October 25 during Homecoming Weekend. This exciting project will establish University Hall as the new home for the College of Liberal Arts.
The renovated building maintains classroom space, recovered student space, and centers the gathering hub. The goal is to preserve the historical character of the building while honoring the building's legacy. “It had a chapel, a library, seminar rooms, and student organization rooms. It even had some fraternal organizations, as well as classroom space and administrative offices,” said architect Ash Lettow, Workshop Architects, when explaining how University was one of the original four buildings on campus.
As the oldest building on Purdue’s campus, University Hall has gone through two modifications. The first in 1923 (46 years after the building was first built) in which the central portion of the building that originally featured a grand staircase, was filled in to create more usable space. The second renovation in 1960 replaced much of the original wood framing, cast iron, and tension rods with modern materials, giving it a utilitarian feel. This renovation will unveil the original wallpaper and retrieved wood to pay homage to the building's past renovations, which eviscerated the building's interior. Architect Lettow shared that, one of the goals of this current project was to recover the elements stripped in 1960 as well as Victorian era elements.”
Some cast iron columns were able to be salvaged from the original construction. Cast iron was used because structural steel hadn’t yet been developed. Two of the original columns were reinstalled on the ground floor, two on the third floor, and another set in the south stairwell. The reclaimed wood, alongside a decorative feature wall and study space is a nod to the building’s past use as a library.
One of the beauties of the building will be its high ceilings, which are made from recycled plastic. As for the roof, joists had to be removed and were salvaged and installed in one of the central walls. “The biggest change, however, is the two-story opening,” said architect Agatha Vonderberg. This renovation is also working toward a LEED certification, which is a valuative tool used to rank the sustainable attributes of buildings.
With an inviting space on the main floor, the new layout focuses on student needs and will soon include Career Services, Study Abroad, and Academic Advising. There is also a gathering space in the core of the building and classrooms on the first and second floors. The Dean’s Office is located on the third floor.
With its rich history and evolving architecture that embraces both past and present styles, University Hall remains an integral part of Purdue's campus for current and future generations.