Thayer Hall demolition proposal

The D, talking to Dean Redman, has put a date on the Thayer Dining Hall demolition: it will come down by 2010. The article states that the school has not selected an architect for the replacement.

One might offer a thumbnail preservation plan for the school to undertake before demolishing the building:

  1. hire a Cultural Resource Management consultant to document the building to HABS standards. This is a widespread practice that has been conventional for decades in government;
  2. remove and preserve the painted leather wallcoverings from the Tyndall Lounge, the Robert Burns painting The Dartmouth College Case (1962) from the main dining room, and the murals Eleazar Wheelock (1937-1939) by noted American illustrator Walter Beach Humphrey from the Hovey Grill. This is a chance to get the controversial murals out of an everyday setting and into a gallery or storage (although it might be used as a reason to demolish them — it probably depends on how they were created);
  3. remove and preserve some notable architectural element, such as one of the roof trusses from the main dining hall. People have been suggesting for a hundred years that the school systematically collect architectural artifacts from the buildings it demolishes, and if there is no room for a permanent collection, some things from Thayer might at least go in the future dining hall.

The construction boom

In a speech to the faculty on October 31, President Wright announced: “I think we can confidently say that there has never been as much construction at any one time in our history.” Below is an excerpt from his speech as it relates to each future building project, with speculation about the architects added. In the context of architecture as a world art form, the most important project is the first listed here; the project that is most important to the school is listed second:

  • “We are already in the planning stage for the visual arts center and will be continuing that process during the coming months.”
    –Designer: Machado & Silvetti

  • “In the area of student life we are also in the final stages of planning a new dining hall north of campus, and a replacement dining hall at the current Thayer Dining site. The Class of 1953 has provided the funding for the north of Maynard Street facility, which will include space for graduate students. The dining projects will be staggered and will cause some disruption as we will need to complete the north of Maynard project before we begin at the Thayer site.”
    –Class of ’53 Dining Hall designer: presumably Moore Ruble Yudell
    –New Thayer Dining Hall designer: possibly Centerbrook

  • “The Tuck School has plans for a living and learning center and they are moving forward with that aggressively. They already have most of the funding in place and are working on construction design, with the intent of starting construction during the second half of next year.”
    –Designer: Goody Clancy

  • “The Medical School is moving ahead with their plans for a translational research building to be constructed near the hospital in Lebanon.”
    –Designer: possibly SBRA

  • “The Grasse Road III project, currently before the town for approval, will provide more affordable housing than can be found in the local market.”
    –Designer: unknown, possibly William Rawn Associates

  • “The life sciences building has been a challenge both in terms of fundraising and planning. Our original notion of a shared laboratory facility with the Medical School has evolved, and we are now thinking about a facility on the Hanover campus that will be primarily for the Biology Department, with only some classroom and meeting space for the Medical School. While this remains one of my very top priorities for fund raising, we are also looking at ways to use debt financing and internal resources to ensure that this project moves forward in a timely fashion.”
  • “I have asked the Provost to review plans for renovation of the Dartmouth Row buildings and Carpenter Hall.”

Projects underway

The Review has posted its latest issue, which includes a list of projects underway, some stats for the north campus, and a thoughtful article on the new construction by Joseph Rago, who quotes Dean Redman on the planning of the new dorms north of Maynard: “We learned from our mistakes in East Wheelock[.]”

Remember, you heard about the “mini-mansard” here first!   (Actually, mini-mansard is probably not the right word, since the roof does not slope at the gable ends: perhaps it is a cryptogambrel?)

Facilities plan released

The facilities plan, “Dartmouth and the Upper Valley:A Special College and a Special Place” is on line and describes several interesting projects apparently not yet settled on, most notably a A “Commons House” behind Dartmouth Row that will provide social spaces.   Others include the renovation of Thayer Dining Hall for social and performance spaces; a Tuck residence hall adjacent Whittemore; 145 residential units in Grasse Road faculty/staff housing; 200 apartment units in Rivercrest, north of campus; and a parking garage south of Cummings for 750+ cars.

Projects contemplated

President Wright noted several facilities projects underway or contemplated in his Annual Report to the General Faculty:

  • Thayer School addition
  • Cancer Center at DMS/DHMC
  • Residential and administrative space at the Tuck School
  • Kemeny Hall (mathematics, on Shower Towers site)
  • Academic Centers adjoining Kemeny (see above)
  • Incremental space for Computer Sciences
  • Arts facilities improvements (study under way by Rogers Marvel Architects)
  • Life Sciences building (a “shared facility” that “bridges the Arts and Sciences and the Medical School”)
  • Classroom renovations, ongoing
  • Renovations to Alumni Gymnasium and Thayer Dining Hall
  • Heating Plant capacity expansion
  • New parking deck