The Chapel Hill weekly., 1949-07-22
University of North Carolina Architecture:
Review and Commentary by Arthur C. Nash

secend iastallsemt Nashs COM
nenGry (the koe 0hick constitutes Of the chapters
Archibald Hendesos book The Campus of the First State
University):
generally recognized that because the practical re-
Qurements of modern collegiate buildings is unreasonable to
expect that literal copies of Colonial originals could adequately
meet those requirements In those days. there gymna
sium buildings highly specialized laboratory buildings
library buildings havng anything like the complex requirements
of such buildings today and the scientific lighting of classroom
buildings unheard Of Therefore, where the Colonial style
adopted for the buildings modern university literal copying
of old models must large extent give way renterpreta
ton, recreation Of that kind of architecture
Under the influence of McKi, Mead and White the Univer
s consulting architects development of the Campus Plan took
Important step forward. 1t assured of dominant
central otivethe crossshaped South Campus Quadrangle
carried out with dignity and with of architectural
son About this central feature smaller quadrangs
could in future take their appropriate places without deracg
from it. We have already several dormory
fully placed Satellites central moe several
groups of other kinds started, projected.
SO far good However it assume that the
versty of North Carolina will in time vastly territory
than present To keep pace with such huge prospective
panson the Plan should have extended central
motive Archtecturly it would be possible develop along
the present nohsouth axis reaching all the way from Franklin
Street the woods behind the Library point Of size capable Of
holding its own matter how the ultimate overall expan
sion of the University Plan might be-
quite pausib be said that the North South Campus
they present planned actually do form such
nuous central feature To my of thinking this but partly
For long the North Campus remains in its present
subandard condition true architectural unity harmony
with the carefully planned South Campus will exist In
other words order to make this extended motive effective the
North Campus must be replanned particularly in its mid
section After ALL the North Campus not the Universys back
yard is should be it's front yard and such should be
shown much honor and respect mor than any other
portion of the Campus.
In connection with the Franklin Street front of the North
Campus which actually the fron entrance the University
grounds it might be well to remember that when the Trustees
ing it with the understanding that ultimately the Battle
VancePegrew dormtory group to replaced by building
exactly matching the fully completely Graham Memorial Their
object of obtain balanced architectural effect at
this gateway to the University.
In other Words the official plan, approved by the Trustees
calls for building similar in design symmetrcay placed OPP
poste the Graham Memorial Combined with certain amount
of revampng of grades the completion of these twin
buildings portal of the University ought considerably o
improve the architectural morale of the whole North Campus
Even though the Franklin Street front remodeed o
form balanced composition the mdsection would still remain
unsoved problem For twenty years. this section
bned with Old East Old West and the South Building has
served the purpose of historical Of the Unver
sitys architecture
ITO be continued)