Walking back from Quiznos, members of the editorial board found themselves remarking on the distinctly 1960s style of architecture of the St. Augustine’s Chapel renovation. Of course, construction is currently in progress and aesthetic value obviously cannot be fully judged, but the general trend begs the question: Does geographical existence on Greek row require dated architecture?
Vanderbilt just completed an exquisite architectural feat with The Commons, balancing the classic style of the existing academic and residential buildings with the LEED-certified, more contemporary feel of The Commons itself. The Peabody campus, excepting a few outliers, contains a cohesive collection of timeless, appropriately collegiate-looking buildings. In certain ways, the university’s newest project reflects the original Kissam Hall, a building photographs illustrate to have been a striking, distinguished edifice whose character cannot be denied.
Clearly, there was a departure from that model on campus. The 1960s were a distinct time in so many ways, not the least of which is the angular, blockish architecture that can be identified extremely quickly.
Most of the fraternity and sorority houses — owned, built and renovated by the university for the most part — look as though they were built in the 1960s and 1970s. Unfortunately, the box-like structure and plain-fronts characteristic of the time do not feature much unique to Nashville or the South. Nevertheless, these aspects of their construction remain perfectly acceptable because most of the houses were, in fact, built in that era.
The problem, however, lies in the renovations over the past decade: The construction has largely maintained the 60s style. Why continue?
Obviously, the editorial board is not a group of architectural experts and understands that existing structural foundations only allow for so much change. Even so, it seems foolish to perpetuate the bland, dated looks of an isolated period of campus architecture simply because the surrounding buildings have the same look.
