The architecture of Richard Levin
On Oct. 6, 1994, just over a year after his inauguration as Yale’s president, a boyish-looking Richard Levin addressed his faculty. He talked at length about plans to renovate some of Yale’s oldest buildings and then mentioned the ongoing construction of Henry R. Luce Hall, which he said signaled the new administration’s focus on “aesthetics.”
Maybe he should have used a different word.
After all, Luce Hall is considered by students, faculty and architecture critics alike to be among the worst pieces of architecture on Yale’s campus, and is almost certainly the least...
great article. scully is right -- luce destroyed TWO streets, hillhouse AND prospect.
Levin's buildings haven't been great...but then again, he is an economist.
Except for giving Stern the colleges commission, Levin's been good for the campus.
great article.
Mark Twain, not Charles Dickens.
It was Dickens. The myth is Twain. (Or maybe it was both of them)
I've always heard it as Dickens. Part of the beauty he was referring to was the collonaded tunnel created by the now long deceased Elm trees, breakfast, lunch and dinner for some microbe from Holland.
According to the city of New Haven, it was Dickens that referred to Hillhouse Ave. as one of the "most beautiful in America."
see: http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/library/Tour/tour16.html
Calhoun was renovated in the Summer of 1989, not 1990.
no...calhoun was 1990
http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/14278
Terrific timely article, although I wish it had included some comments on the new sculpture building.
A masterwork.
I arrived in 1990. It was renovated the summer prior. You are wrong- and this article was probably researched using the incorrect information in the YDN article you cite. This is how history gets polluted.
This is one of the better of this type of articles in a long time. I wish it got more attention.
It really put it into perspective: not a single building built by Levin, except Malone and maybe Kroon, is even decent. The Loria center is a downright disgrace, and everything else (the sculpture) are either out of place or look like a suburban office park creation. Rozenkranz is going to be equally average. Yale should get back into the habit of destroying buildings (look up Osbourne Hall). Morse and Stiles,as well as 451 College, should be gone!
Luce looks like it was bought off the shelf at IKEA.
Functional. Cheap.
Calhoun renovations began in the summer of 1988. The goal was to finish before September; renovations went literally 'round the clock (much to the chagrin of New Haven and summer school students).
The budget was ~$20 million; actual cost was at least double, and renovations were not completed on time. Indeed, completion was postponed to the following summer.
Yale stepped back to re-consider its renovation policy, leading to delays for all colleges. When they resumed, renovations were at a much slower pace and made use of the innovative "swing space."
Boola boola.
While I agree w/#15 in that buildings built under Levin are lacking (some more than others), I simultaneously applaud--and loudly--the restoration/preservation of many Yale landmarks (and not-quite-landmarks) that has gone on under his tenure. Good work!
This is a wonderful article, worthy of the nation's oldest college daily newspaper at a great liberal arts institution. Bravo! Brava!
Paul D. Keane
M.Div.'80