University of Virginia Library

Architectural Triumph

Ever since Thomas Jefferson's untimely
death, architecture at the University has been
going steadily downhill. The buildings erected
since the Lawn and Ranges have ranged in
general from mediocre to downright atrocious.
For the first hundred years or so this
was due to a largely misguided attempt to
copy the Jeffersonian style, an attempt which
led to such masterpieces as Cobb Chemical
Building and even more glamorous Peabody
Hall Annex.

It's only been in the last couple of decades
that University planners have seen fit to
unleash the forces of modern architecture;
again, the results have been somewhat less
then auspicious. The Grounds in recent years
have been graced with rude heaps like the
candy-striped box on the back of the Library
and the almost chaotic indignity that is Wilson
Hall - buildings that not even the traditional
allegiance to red brick could save.

This trend may finally have been reversed
with the completion of the new architecture
building, an edifice that even Mr. Jefferson
might love. The building is equipped with
almost every conceivable modernity including,
we're told, a room in which the lecturer can
almost make it rain indoors in his effort to
impress upon the students the importance of
temperature and humidity controls. Even
more important, the building looks nice. It
has been designed to take advantage of the
available space and yet retain a number of
appealing terraces and overlooks. Throughout
the whole there is a feeling of compact
spaciousness.

If you get a chance, stop by and take a
look at the new building, ignoring if you can
the awful potted plants that are sitting in one
of the lobbies. The School of Architecture's
new building is a worthy successor to Mr.
Jefferson's tradition and should serve as an
example to design students for years to come.