Our "ugly" campus

[Rightupinthere]

Does anyone else find it intersting that other MAC visitors to BG base their entire impressions of BG architecture on a drive down Wooster?

I'm beginning to think it's clinical.

[TG1996]

Well, I base my impression on UT's architecture on a drive through the 'hood, so maybe it works both ways...

[Bleeding Orange]

Does anyone else find it intersting that other MAC visitors to BG base their entire impressions of BG architecture on a drive down Wooster?

I'm beginning to think it's clinical.

Well, the problem is that no one takes the time to venture into campus, I think. The two open spaces on either side of University Hall, and especially betweeen Univ. and the Admin. building, are two of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.

That being said, I could very easily say that Athens is populated by nothing but poor people and hobos based on a drive outside of campus. But I don't, because I realize that most of those run down, POS houses are populated by drunken/high/generally disinterested OU students/dropouts.

[factman]

I think the city and university are in the process of a major landscaping project along Wooster. Another thing that I think needs done is a "beautification" project on the entrance/exit ramp on I -75. I don not know whether this is the city or state responsibility, but it always looks tacky with weeds growing, trash etc. I think there is alot that could be done.

[Tech83]

Does anyone else find it intersting that other MAC visitors to BG base their entire impressions of BG architecture on a drive down Wooster?

I'm beginning to think it's clinical.

I think you have strong point. There are places along Wooster that are not bad. I like the area from two Fraternity rows to Rodgers/Kohl. The rest is parking lots and ugly buildings.

The new Campus Master Plan calls for "windows" from Wooster, but I don't think the interior areas of campus are that great. However, Old Campus is our nicest area, but needs to be expanded. I think the "quad" between the Business Bldg, Library, Education Building and Rodgers/Kohl area had potential that has been wasted. East Hall is misplaced as is Oslcamp Hall.

There is no sequence of spaces or experience on campus. All buildings post 1950 are object buildings in space rather than figural buildings creating space.

Some body please give me the President's and the Board of T's ear for a day and I would change the image of BG. We have the ques, but we continue to let architects do buildings about themselves and not BG. The Union renovation is the first in ages not to do that.

[Rightupinthere]

I understand what you're saying, Patrick, but I also see some commonality with the newer buildings and the remodeling of the old. Founders, Union, Olscamp, and Arts Building all have some common elements with Moore Musical Arts Building, yes?
So, in that light one could say that they are finding consistency from the architecture.

[Tech83]

I understand what you're saying, Patrick, but I also see some commonality with the newer buildings and the remodeling of the old. Founders, Union, Olscamp, and Arts Building all have some common elements with Moore Musical Arts Building, yes?
So, in that light one could say that they are finding consistency from the architecture.

I think the renovated Union is unbelievable. It should win some design awards. It's modern, but still has the sense to create a wonderful exterior space in the oval and engage that space by loading important (the student) functions to the oval. The clock tower entry creates a strong campus marker.

I have a feeling the interior of Founders is great or better than orignal modern (ala Bad knock-off Gropius) - but I have not seen the interior. The exterior would be a struggle to fix. It really is not offensive, just never engages the street very well. The new entry trys and I feel for the architect.... that is a tough task on such a short space and probably a restricted budget for facade renovation. (Basically - I want to peel the facade off and start over.)

Olscamp is just misplaced. It feels shoe-horned into its site. The interior of the building is very nice. That site would have been better left as an open space or some sort of "green" parking lot tucked behind Eppler, Business, and Anderson. They could have placed Olscamp between Kohl and HUM or removed the Commons..... help reinforce the south edge of the quad.

The new fine art buildng really is crap. I can't find any redeeming qualities to it. It feels like a miss -mass of glass and sloped roofs. I actually had words with the then University Architect over this pile of ........ Maybe I should tell you what I really think

The Moore Arts building is just a plane wreck in brick. The theater spaces are great, but otherwise, it is easy to get lost in the building. It is Late Modernism at its worst. Compare it to the renovated Union or even Math-Sceince (An award winning building in the Brutalist manner). Is it really appealling to look at? Personally it is the last building on earth, let alone campus, any good architect should take visual ques.

Now I am in no way supporting the use of a single "Style" such as at Miamii....... gag me with a spoon . But I think the Union points the way to what new buildings at BG should strive to be.....

[Bleeding Orange]

As I see Schade has already discovered, the Miami folks have recently backed into this issue. It is beyond them that I actually enjoy BG's campus. I mean, how could I possibly without any red brick and Robert Frost quotes?

I like Oxford, but I'll take Bowling Green any day.

[Bleeding Orange]

Link:

http://www.miamihawktalk.com/discussion ... sc&start=0

Duh.

[Rightupinthere]

I like the music building only because I spent a majority of my undergrad there.
But looking at it from a purely objective point of view it is a rather chaotic jumble of building portions slapped together in the shape of a largish donut. I love Kobacher Hall and Bryant Recital Hall, however. That's my favorite part of the building.
I liked the building when it had carpeting and multi colored walls. Now, it has very little character.
I like the Math Science Building, but I don't remember too much of the inside other than the two lecture halls.

This begs a question which I will ask you on the free-for-all, Patrick.

[Tech83]

As I see Schade has already discovered, the Miami folks have recently backed into this issue. It is beyond them that I actually enjoy BG's campus. I mean, how could I possibly without any red brick and Robert Frost quotes?

I like Oxford, but I'll take Bowling Green any day.

Bleeding - both campuses have their merits. The stone photos the Miami morons are showing are not orginally Miami buildings, but were part of Western Ohio College for Women, which eventually merged with Miami. I love it when people don't even know the history of their own campus.

BG has better buildings (although recent additions at Miami have been exceptional) but Miami has better spaces between the buildings - for the most part. But the interior of Miami's buildings are horrid and do not function. Upham Hall, a Miami Favorite because of the arch, is the most worthless building on the planet.

Quite honestly, while the new buildngs near the Student Center at Miami may be attractive, they fail the Mighty Miami test of creating great exterior spaces between themselves and will eventually be considered failures at that level.

Oxford and BG are also whole different. Oxford is a straight college town. No college - no town PERIOD. BG is the county seat and the center of gvernment, justice, and culture.... Tractor Pull and all. BG has many attorneys, doctors, and other professionals that need to be in the county seat. It brings a different type of mentality to the town and to campus. Learned, but professional.

Let's not forget that Miami did not get flatted by the glacier. So yes, the terrain is a bit different, not better, different.

[1987alum]

Oxford and BG are also whole different. Oxford is a straight college town. No college - no town PERIOD. BG is the county seat and the center of gvernment, justice, and culture.... Tractor Pull and all. BG has many attorneys, doctors, and other professionals that need to be in the county seat. It brings a different type of mentality to the town and to campus. Learned, but professional.

Let's not forget that Miami did not get flatted by the glacier. So yes, the terrain is a bit different, not better, different.

I think these two points are all too often overlooked.

[patrickbg]

Let's not forget that Miami did not get flatted by the glacier. So yes, the terrain is a bit different, not better, different.

yeah there are other things that ruined miami.

[BGSU33]

There are two things BG can do to make its campus look much, much better.

1. PLANT MORE TREES!!!!! PLEASE, PLANT MORE TREES!!!!!

2. BUILD BUILDINGS THAT LOOK LIKE COLLEGE BUILDINGS AND NOT OBJECTS!!!!!

YES, I AM YELLING THESE REQUESTS (hence the all-caps), SOMEONE AT BG PLEASE TAKE THEM INTO CONSIDERATION!!!!!

[1987alum]

Landscaping is part of the overall look & feel, so I don't think just plopping a bunch of trees down will help. FWIW, as Noah & I were driving across campus, I remember thinking, "man, for all the crap BG catches for supposedly lacking trees, there sure are a lot of them here."