Spring Break
Cyan and bricks do not mix
Scott Dennis
Issue date: 10/1/08 Section: Forum
As motorists drive up Western Boulevard from the east, one of their first views of the Oregon State campus is the sight of residence halls Bloss and Finley towering against the skyline. A motorist unaware of their location might think that these stark, rectangular concrete blocks were seventies office buildings or the aging wings of an old hospital complex - structures that prioritized function over form.
The next building a motorist would see is the awesome form of Reser Stadium, with its nifty entrance and effective color scheme. The motorist would probably have no trouble labeling this interesting structure as a stadium of some sort.
Now if the motorist took an intuitive leap and determined that the stadium and the blocky gray towers were associated somehow, they might wonder why such high profile buildings as Finley and Bloss look so mundane whilst Reser looks downright cool.
Other than being parts of the Oregon State campus, what connects these buildings? In visual art - which architecture is - a "theme" is used to link (metaphorically) disparate parts of a work to create a solid expression or overall effect. "What," a curious motorist may ask, "is Oregon State's architectural theme?"
Observing the buildings located around the campus quad, one might conclude that OSU's theme is "Brown Brick," or "Traditional-looking Buildings Made Of Brick," or even "Oh Snap That's A Lot Of Bricks."
But just a short stroll down Jefferson Way we find Waldo Hall, whose red, black and tan color scheme contradicts the whole "Brown Brick" idea. A little further down the street is Snell Hall, a building seemingly undecided as to what it should look like. On one hand, it sports the usual brown brick walls seen earlier, and is arranged in an interesting way that harmonizes with the other brick buildings. This thematic integrity is broken, however, by the large block of cyan panels adorning the walls. The same problem befalls Weniger Hall, another tall high profile building near the northern border of campus.
The next building a motorist would see is the awesome form of Reser Stadium, with its nifty entrance and effective color scheme. The motorist would probably have no trouble labeling this interesting structure as a stadium of some sort.
Now if the motorist took an intuitive leap and determined that the stadium and the blocky gray towers were associated somehow, they might wonder why such high profile buildings as Finley and Bloss look so mundane whilst Reser looks downright cool.
Other than being parts of the Oregon State campus, what connects these buildings? In visual art - which architecture is - a "theme" is used to link (metaphorically) disparate parts of a work to create a solid expression or overall effect. "What," a curious motorist may ask, "is Oregon State's architectural theme?"
Observing the buildings located around the campus quad, one might conclude that OSU's theme is "Brown Brick," or "Traditional-looking Buildings Made Of Brick," or even "Oh Snap That's A Lot Of Bricks."
But just a short stroll down Jefferson Way we find Waldo Hall, whose red, black and tan color scheme contradicts the whole "Brown Brick" idea. A little further down the street is Snell Hall, a building seemingly undecided as to what it should look like. On one hand, it sports the usual brown brick walls seen earlier, and is arranged in an interesting way that harmonizes with the other brick buildings. This thematic integrity is broken, however, by the large block of cyan panels adorning the walls. The same problem befalls Weniger Hall, another tall high profile building near the northern border of campus.
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