Current use: |
Provision of introductory information about the university, admissions and registration activities, and campus tours. MU Police has its main offices there, as well. |
Location: |
5th. Avenue at 18th Street on the northeast side of campus, opposite the Twin Towers residence halls. |
Designers: |
Hoblitzell, Daley, Mc. Intyre (HDMR Group), Charleston, WV. |
Completed: |
1995 |
Name: |
For its almost total similarity. |
The main plan of this one story building is a square that has in its northwest corner a round, covered canopy which oversailing edges, which marks the public entrance. The southeast corner that faces a parking lot and a service street has a concave entrance to house the Office of Public(MU police).
The expression of the building is done by a wrap-around stuccoed fascia or band (reminiscent of a cornice), which slightly oversails the wall. This band has vertical grooves that make it similar as pre-cast concrete pieces. This resource appears to be a somehow visual replacement of the classical decorative features and relates the building with modern, industrial, already made pieces of buildings. The band plays the role of the roof, and is supported by cylindrical columns. Those attached to the wall are half columns, and those free standing are supporting the oversailing cylindrical canopy. It is interesting to see the way these columns relate either to the ground or to the canopy. Above, they lack a capital, and even looks like to pierce the horizontal slab (see the recessed hole where it connects to the slab). Down, its diameter is suddenly streamlined, and finally is attached to a huge brick base. It seems as the designers were intentionally contradicting the classical tectonic expression, that emphasizes stability and steadiness between the building parts. The wall development around the building has glass brick fenestration, and at both entrances have full height huge glass windows and doors.
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