Wednesday, September 9, 2009

EUC, Jackson, and The Caf



As we returned from the long Labor Day weekend, we regrouped and started at the clock tower on the corner of College Ave and Spring Garden St. The focus of Tuesday's outing was centers, and we looked at the Elliot University Center, the Jackson Library, and the Caf for examples. We began on the southeast side by the water element and the sitting area. I learned about how the EUC was first built in the 1920s, and was touched up about every ten years. A major revamping occurred in 2000 that changed the appearance of most of the building and added a lot of new space. The auditorium was added at this time, along with the passage way between the EUC and the library, and many other things.
As I said, we focused mainly on centers. All three of the buildings follow the theme of circles found around campus, and most of those circles were centers. In the EUC there is the drum at the entrance between the bookstore and food court. I had never taken the time to really notice the detail in the entrance drum. The lines up the walls, the white portions around the windows that make a pattern, and the blue light on the ceiling. Many people travel through this area, and it is along the axis of the space. At the other end of the hall, the axis, is the circular staircase, another center. The stairs connect the floors, the back entrance to the main floor, and so on. This stairway is also a center in the idea of balance.
We then experienced the recent addition of the hallway leading to the library. Once in the library we were told to find the center of the library and stand on it. I stopped under the artwork at the crossing of the main passageway through the meat of the library and the entrance from the EUC. There was art hanging over that spot and the only sky light in the building. I then thought that was too easy, so I explored farther down, and decided on a more central location from the physical aspect. We were never told where the center was; I don't think there is just one that is correct. I have decided to choose the first place I stopped as the center. As a class we went onto the front porch to that circular area and discussed the possibility of a center there, but left inconclusive.
We moved on to the building The Caf is in. We never actually entered the dinning area, but focused more on the complicated layout and lobby area outside of the Spartan Market and Mail Center. The center of this building is the staircase up to the dinning area. Many beats are present in this structure. I have already mentioned the Mail Center and the Spartan Market, and the Caf itself. The building is centrally located on campus, therefore it is also a good place to meet up with friends.
I chose a picture of the front of Jackson Library to show one of the possible centers. Another drum of sorts is represented, and the columns that can be found around campus are seen here too.

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