Walking around campus this morning got me thinking. It's a given that Dorman Hall should be leveled or at the very least be given a new facade. On a good note, the shrubbery that Campus Landscape installed a few years ago is starting to mature and cover some of the ugliness that exist. That being said, name two other buildings on campus that you'd like to see demolished and rebuilt or at the very least be given a new facade. I'll say that the Rula Engineering Building looks awesome!!
Buildings on Campus
- Thread starter InTheIttaBenaHotSun
- Start date
Last time I saw McCool I thought about renting a wrecking ball and doing it myself. It's an abomination. Especially considering it's location on the drill field.
I’d go McCool and Allen Hall as the two worst buildings behind Dorman.
The Hunter Henry Cnt is awful but it’s not being redone anytime soon.
The Hunter Henry Cnt is awful but it’s not being redone anytime soon.
Allen would get my vote. We need more attention to simply cutting the grass and landscaping on the outside borders of campus, and in various parking lots. When I moved my son in a couple of weeks ago, Hwy 12 (University) to 82 looked like it had not been mowed in 6 months. All of the landscaping between 82 and the football complex seems to have been left to grow on its own. Mulching in the parking lots beds that I was in looks like it was done 2 years ago, with bare ground and erosion going on. And finally Lee Ave to the campus is an embarrassment.
Unfortunately there are a lot of them but you can add the library to the list for me among the usual suspects. It and McCool are two monstrosities smack dab on the drill field. That said, still a nice campus and it's still providing many fond memories all these years later every time I walk around it.
The one that housed Aerospace Engineering. Can't recall the name, I'm not smart enough to have taken classes there. Its elevator seemed like a death trap. That was also 20 years ago, so it might've been remodeled by now.
No doubt there are still some eyesore buildings and grounds on campus, but overall it is unbelievably nicer and more built up than it was when I was there as a student back in the early '70s. Speaking of Allen, I had a lot of my classes there, being a computer science major. That is one butt ugly building though.
Wasn’t McCool renovated and got a facelift?
Dorman and Allen look awful
Allen Hall looks like Bart Simpsons head.
Dorman and Allen look awful
Allen Hall looks like Bart Simpsons head.
Patterson Hall, right on engineering row. Sorry to the Dorman haters, but Patterson is easily the biggest eyesore on campus. It’s damned windows are painted green for some reason. The exterior (never been inside) is THE embarrassment of campus.
https://misspreservation.files.word...sity-front-west-facade-looking-southeast1.jpg
From all the comments below you can group all the ones built from mid-60’s to late 70’s. Closely resembling mid century modern commercial modular architecture. The school was really growing from early 60’s thru 70’s. It’s interesting to tie in some societal history relevant to when certain buildings were built. McCool, Allen and Simrall reflect the energy crisis of the 70’s with minimal windows and dungeon style architecture that was so prevalent then. Regretfully, there obviously was no long term master plan and long term style for about 40 years post war and it is visible but hold faith that mid century modern will become valued at some point. BTW, I was a one year architecture major.
Had this conversation today w/ wife as we drove through campus. Hunter Henry, Allen and MCComas are horrible. Dorman got a power washing recently and it looks better but is no way worse than previously mentioned 3. Whoever is responsible for all the green metal roofs too should be put in a stockade on the drill field to explain their reasoning for those abominations to everyone that walks by
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My very first college class was in Dorman Hall. An English class…wtf.
Was quite the walk from Hightower. Freshman hazing.
Was quite the walk from Hightower. Freshman hazing.
Patterson is protected by state’s archives law
As historical building, so it’s look isn’t going anywhere. Renovated or not.
As historical building, so it’s look isn’t going anywhere. Renovated or not.
McCool was being renovated when I was a student, so somewhere between 2004-2008. The union was also getting rebuilt at this time. I personally think McCool looks fine. To me, Allen is the building that should be prioritized in any remodel. Just a terrible looking building.
I tried to find a picture but couldn’t, didn’t the union used to have a similar look to Allen?
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If it were me, I would demo Dorman, replace it with the new Alumni Building and build a new building that doubles the capacity of Dorman somewhere else on campus.
This would be a perfect place for the new alumni center to be located as it is adjacent to all the tailgating areas. Big time parties can be had, a ton of money can be raised, and it would give us a dynamite backdrop for SEC Nation.
I don’t get the McCool hate, either....
They did a really nice job with the renovation, but the Drill Field-facing side wasn’t really touched. Still, it’s hardly unaesthetic. https://www.google.com/local/place/...PeG1vWHViUWZlMDZQNEJRSlhZWVhBZ3c5MWg0VU9WY0Fj
Allen and Dorman.... most everything else is either updated or not too bad.
I think the mirror image buildings on the Drill Field are really cool. Pretty unique.
They did a really nice job with the renovation, but the Drill Field-facing side wasn’t really touched. Still, it’s hardly unaesthetic. https://www.google.com/local/place/...PeG1vWHViUWZlMDZQNEJRSlhZWVhBZ3c5MWg0VU9WY0Fj
Allen and Dorman.... most everything else is either updated or not too bad.
I think the mirror image buildings on the Drill Field are really cool. Pretty unique.
Omg Allen Hall.. you walk in there & it smells like the 70s. Never forget the pain in the *** to take a written exam in a crammed auditorium in that one. Yet I feel like with all the changes, some buildings should be left. I went randomly last month for a vacation & after not being there in a few years. Almost unrecognizable, my feelings are hurt the Post Office is now a YMCA, 17’n joke & a farce. Anyways, we have been letting too many new students in since 2003.
No, just 20 years since I rode that elevator. I also don't take a stroll down Engineering Row every visit to campus, which is only for athletic events. I meant no insult by my suggestion. Like I said, I wasn't smart enough to have classes there. I visited the building as a runner for the Dean of Engineering's office out of McCain.
I happen to be passing Bloomington, IN this weekend. I was very impressed with the beauty of the campus. All the buildings I saw were made of limestone and designed similar. The landscape around campus was very nice.
I like what State did mirroring Swalm to Lee. State needs to rebuild a lot of buildings with that architecture and have an uniform feel such as IU.
Oh....and I passed by UofVirginia last winter. I took a break and roamed around there too. Their baseball stadium was SEC quality. The town seemed like a nice college town. HOwever, the school wasn't as impressive as I expected. They have the old campus on one side of the highway with all the old architecture. Then on the other side is the newer buildings with obviously a modern design and feel. The football stadium was situated almost in the middle of the newer side of campus. Very similar to MSU. anyways.......State's greek houses blow the doors off UVAs.
I like what State did mirroring Swalm to Lee. State needs to rebuild a lot of buildings with that architecture and have an uniform feel such as IU.
Oh....and I passed by UofVirginia last winter. I took a break and roamed around there too. Their baseball stadium was SEC quality. The town seemed like a nice college town. HOwever, the school wasn't as impressive as I expected. They have the old campus on one side of the highway with all the old architecture. Then on the other side is the newer buildings with obviously a modern design and feel. The football stadium was situated almost in the middle of the newer side of campus. Very similar to MSU. anyways.......State's greek houses blow the doors off UVAs.
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With you 100% Allen needs to go. And E. Lee looks like it did in 1982. And it looked bad then.
The old Post Office isn't a YMCA. It's where Student Affairs (and maybe some of the legal offices) are housed.
Just Whitewash It
The worse thing about Dorman is the color of the bricks....they should just paint the bricks white and say Chip and Joanna fixed it up.
The worse thing about Dorman is the color of the bricks....they should just paint the bricks white and say Chip and Joanna fixed it up.