Harris Hall, a designated Evanston historical landmark and home to NU's history department, will close in December to undergo renovations, officials said.
Classes will be held in Harris through Fall Quarter 2008, but the history department will relocate to 1800 Sherman Ave. during winter break, said Marvin Lofquist, Weinberg associate dean for physical environment. Classes will not be held in Harris for at least one year beginning in January 2009, and renovations will primarily impact the interior of the building while preserving the exterior architecture, he said.
Construction will take between 12 and 18 months, and will include the installation of an elevator, air-conditioning, and handicap accessible ramps and corridors, Lofquist said. Improvements will also be made to the electrical, plumbing and fire alarm systems.
The departmental office and several faculty offices will move to the ground floor to make the building more accessible for students and visitors. A new addition on the ground level will also provide space for a history seminar room, the new Center for Historical Studies and study space for graduate students, Lofquist said. Classrooms on the upper level will also be updated.
"Since it was built primarily as a building for classrooms, many of the existing offices in Harris are sub-divided classrooms that are not laid out efficiently," Lofquist said. "By starting clean and designing the whole plan to meet current programming needs, Harris Hall will become a much better work space for both offices and classrooms."
Built in 1915, Harris' front Ionic columns, which were designed by Charles Coolidge, an architect with the firm that designed the Chicago Cultural Center and the Art Institute of Chicago, easily distinguish it from other campus buildings.
"It's a premier building, but it has not been remodeled in a long time," Lofquist said.
On average, 105 classes are held in Harris' eight classrooms each year, Jaci Rivera, NU's assistant registrar for scheduling and registration, wrote in an e-mail. During renovations, the registrar's office will need to find alternative space for classes that would have been held in Harris.
2008 Woodie Awards
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