Loyola featured in Festival of Architecture
Posted by caitlinbotsios on May 9, 2011
Loyola is hosting the Festival of Architecture. Photo by Caitlin Botsios.
The typically silent Duncan Reading Room housed within Cudahy Library was abnormally noisy during the opening reception of the Loyola Campus Architecture Exhibit.
The exhibit which is a part of the Festival of Architecture in Chicago will run through Nov. 1 and will be housed for that time in the Duncan Reading Room.
Prepared by Kathy Young, Loyola University’s Archivist and Director of Special Collections, the exhibit took about six months to prepare, but according to Young, “The real bulk of putting a collection together happens in the final two weeks.”
The exhibit features blueprints, photos, architectural drawings, and letters surrounding the creation and maintaining of the buildings on the Loyola Lakeshore Campus.
Young explained that the Festival of Architecture is celebrating the 500th anniversary of the first printed architecture book and that she thought it was essential Loyola play a role in the festival.
Young said, “It’s a real collaborative effort. You really don’t know anything specific about it [The buildings] and when you walk by them everyday, it is important to know the history.”
According to Robert Seal, the Dean of Libraries, ” My goal for the exhibit is to let the students learn about the history of the school and the buildings. I want them to know what the buildings were initially used for and what they are used for now.”
Kathy Young explained, “The goal is to really bring people in and learn about the architecture of the school.”
The exhibit gives a view of the school that is always seen, but very rarely thought about. Photos of Father Mertz working on the Chapel Campaign were informative and really put a face to the name of the tallest residence hall on the Lakeshore Campus. Photos from the 1930s allow exhibit goers to see how the campus has evolved through the years and what buildings have been lost.
When asked about buildings that have been lost through the years, Seal said, “There are times when buildings should be torn down and times when they should be preserved.” He added, “I’ve only been here 5 years and no one has really seemed too upset about the demolition of the old Jesuit Residence or Damen Hall.”
Many attending the exhibit seemed captivated by the pieces and spent time admiring each piece. For others the reception just served as a surprise. One student walking through said, “It’s so loud in here. I can talk.”
For students who are unaware of the exhibits the happen in the Duncan Reading Room, Seal explained that the wooden cases around the room regularly house rare books and items from the library’s special collection. Annually, the room also holds the Exhibit of Faculty Scholarship.
So, what big exhibit is up next for the cases in Duncan? According to Young, she has already started to collect items and design an exhibit opening in the summer of 2012. This next exhibit will be made with the theme of Loyola Athletics and will feature all of the sports of Loyola through the years. The exhibit will feature the 1963 men’s basketball team and will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their NCAA title.
The current architectural exhibit is free and open during library hours and will run through November 1. Photos from the exhibit are also featured in the Festival of the Architecture Book, 1511-2011. For more information on the festival, visit www.1511-2011.org
