Oasis in the Blizzard

It's about this time of year that freshman from warm places like California and India realize that Urbana is a cold, cold place. It's hot, too, in the summer, but right now all anybody can focus on is how cold it is. The birds have long gone; the leaves fell and are gone, the grass is yellow, when not covered by snow. To get to class, people bundle up, find secret passageways, and walk through other buildings in their attempt to stay warm. Inside is where you find your warmth.

Several buildings on campus feature an atrium or some other large space. The Eagle's Nest, of course, looks out on the atrium of Temple Hoyne Buell Hall. DCL has a huge open area where they built an entire new building around the old one. Lincoln Hall's entrance features a huge space where the stairway leads up to the theater. But, the one that stands out to me is Beckman Institute's courtyard.

Beckman Institute, front entrance.

In most other atrium spaces, attention is drawn to the grandiosity of the space. Standing in Temple Hoyne Buell Hall, sheer walls on all sides and the metal screen draw the viewer's eyes up, to see the massive figural void the building creates. DCL's main floors follow THBH's second and third floor bridges to draw attention to the space below, and have catwalks above to raise your eyes to. Lincoln Hall's stairs draw your eyes up, and you see great columns surrounding you that rise up as well. But, Beckman Institute has lampposts. There are potted plants and art pieces, all at eye level. A cafe sits at one end of the building, with a small hubbub around it. The space is more of a complement to the real attraction, everything around you.

The interior courtyard of Beckman Institute, facing towards the cafe.

The interior courtyard of Beckman Institute, facing its eastern entrance.

In pictures, you see the bridges that cross the chasm of the courtyard to connect offices to lab space. But, standing inside the building, you feel more as if you are in a Californian pedestrian area (oxymoron that may be). The temperature is nice. The lampposts and art give it a sort of art deco feel. The cafe invites you to stop and chat with an old acquaintance. In short, the designers of the building want you to forget that the moment you step out of the building, your ears will begin to lose feeling from the wind and the cold (or, in the summer, that a wave of sweat will immediately wash over you from the humidity). They wanted to recreate the great ability schools in more appealing climate zones can take advantage of their ability to do things outside, by creating a false outside space that will never be rained or snowed upon. It's the condition of a midwestern university that they will go to such great lengths just to make a perfect "outside" area.

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As a slight continuance of the discussion of the undergrad library, I leave without comment the inscriptions above two buildings on (or, at least, very near to) the main quad. Above Gregory Hall, the journalism building, an argument for the liberal arts side of the debate raging in the library courtyard, and above Davenport Hall, originally the agriculture building, an argument for industrial education. Refer back to "Palpitations of the Heart" for more details on this.

"A true university must be a fountain of learning as well as a school of instruction."
Quoting President Gregory, original president of the university, on the building named after him.

"Industrial Education prepares the way for a millennium of labor." - Turner
(President Gregory's opponent in the debate between industrial education and liberal arts)

 And finally, a few picture reminders of the trip as a whole: the main quad is a beautiful place...

The main quad, as seen from Foellinger Auditorium.

The main quad, as seen from Anniversary Plaza.

...despite some odd characters who join the table. Think of FLB as your crazy uncle, who you could never not invite to Thanksgiving, but he still doesn't quite fit in.

This odd building still has the red brick common everywhere on campus,
but is "designed in the style of the times." (Foreign Language Building)

Sometimes, people make mistakes, as in here on the side of Gregory Hall (just off of the Main Quad).

Why is that door there? Who is that for?

Lastly, instead of a grand entrance to welcome everybody to the north end of campus along the main axis, we have a piece of artwork and a huge wall.

The north end of the main axis inside Beckman Institute.
Not a grand entrance like on the other side of the building, but rather, "Colored Ribbons."

The northern entrance to the university, as seen from within the great wall.
(There's nothing here)