With the death of a former women’s dormitory comes the birth of a new science laboratory.
Nearing complete demolition, Strong Hall is to be completely rebuilt as a new science laboratory.
The former women’s dormitory opened in 1925 and saw its last resident leave in 2008, with the cafeteria closed in 2011.
The structure will retain its original name despite its transformation with completion set for late fall 2016, Associate Vice Chancellor for Facilities Services Dave Irwin said by email.
In 1925, Strong Hall opened its doors for 50 residents funded through a donation by Benjamin Rush Strong in honor of his mother, Sophronia Mars Strong. Over time though, the short, cramped hallways, poor wiring, and lack of central air conditioning, made conditions inside during the summer unbearable, causing one student to pass out from heat stroke.
While the design for outside of the building has been finalized, the final interior designs are still being developed.
The updated building will house the Anthropology and Earth and Planetary Sciences departments as well as new, more interactive labs for undergraduate chemistry and biology.
The majority of the $114 million, 270,000 square foot project’s funding will come from the state of Tennessee, but UT will contribute $38.75 million for the new structure.
Practicality outweighs sentimentality, Jeff Maples, senior associate vice chancellor of Finance and Administration, acknowledged in October.
“It’s important to us to try and preserve old buildings,” Maples said. “It’s our heritage, but oftentimes it’s difficult to do that because of new, modern-day codes. It’s very difficult to try and preserve a building and still make it useful when you move back in.”
Additionally, an old gardener’s cottage at the corner of 16th Street and White Avenue, part of the former Cowan estate, will be completely restored. Plans for this building have yet to be decided.
Much of the furniture inside Strong Hall was left inside the building, despite the buildings closing in 2011.
