The University has released preliminary plans for the new plaza that will connect the Bryan Center, West Union Building and surrounding areas. The plans, which are not yet finalized, open up space for outdoor dining and event planning and allow for easy access to the plaza from the Chapel, Kilgo and main quadrangles.
Architects from Hargreaves Associates will continue to work with administrators and students to tweak the plaza plans before the Board of Trustees votes on a final design in May. Construction on the plaza is expected to begin this summer.
"[The plans are] better than I ever imagined but right on course with the conceptual intentions I've always articulated," said Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs. "The artistic elements will be immediately visible, as will the simultaneous sense of expanse and intimacy."
Moneta noted that the plans include a large volume of space for gatherings by large numbers of students as well as various sections designed for smaller gatherings.
In particular, the plans include a raised platform section, which has been conceptualized as a possible area for functions like amplified sound events, protests, speakers and plays. Director of Student Life Gregg Heinselman said parts of the plaza could also be used for events like Springternational and Oktoberfest.
Jonathan Bigelow, president of the Duke University Union and a member of the steering committee that is helping design the plaza, noted that the plaza is being designed with specific program uses in mind--something that cannot be said of the main quad, which has restricted usage due to things like limited power sources.
"We will design pieces of the plaza specifically for things like concerts, festivals and food vending. The new plaza will have plenty of power and a sound foundation," he said.
To provide for smaller, more informal social engagements, the plaza would widen the main pedestrian corridor and carve out little niches for social interaction. "Right now the BC walkway is so narrow, you can't really choose to stop in the middle of it to have a conversation," Heinselman said. "In the new plans, there are four or five platform areas off the main corridor that allow that social interaction to take place."
Heinselman said the platforms will be designed for specific types of functions. "We may have one that is a quiet contemplation area, another that is a place to sit and work on a laptop, and another that is designed for outdoor platform presentations," he said.
Two separate platforms have been marked as outdoor dining areas--one adjacent to the Bryan Center and the other abutting the West Union Building. "We have to take advantage of Duke's climate," said Anthony Vitarelli, president of Campus Council and a member of the steering committee working on the plaza design. "For six months of the school year, outdoor dining is viable."
Moneta noted that, in general, the plaza "creates opportunities for indoor/outdoor interaction where the plaza and buildings meet," and lauded the fact that the plaza includes considerable seating. Besides providing more space for outdoor events and interactions, the plaza would also support pedestrian circulation from the Bryan Center to the West Union Building and would connect with the Chapel Quad, the main quad and Kilgo Quad.
"The plaza attempts to make logical connections as will all of the adjacent buildings and environments," Moneta said. "We've been very sensitive to having the plaza feel warm, engaging and useful for all in all directions.
Vitarelli said the plaza's design could lead to more spontaneous attendance of programs in progress.
Moneta noted that the entry off the main residential quad will include consideration of re-designed paths to Few Quad and other residential locations. He added that a section bordering Kilgo Quad features a stairwell that could serve as a staging platform for the quad, and a section on the other side of the plaza could do the same for the Chapel area. A ramp to Union Drive allows for pedestrian access to the plaza for those coming from the athletic campus or academic buildings in that area, he said.
Moneta said the plans also include a section that hangs off the back of the West Union building and leads to the Flowers Building. "Eventually... we'll want to puncture through Flowers and create a direct connection with the Chapel Quad," he said.
Although Vitarelli noted that the plans are moving in the right direction, he said he had some concerns about the sheer size of the concrete plaza. "We have to make sure that it's not so big that if only a few people are present, it seems like they're in some kind of concrete expanse," he said. "There's a middle ground between the narrowness of the walkway and creating something that's too large. Bigelow said one of the features that might help soften and compartmentalize the plaza is the integration of foliage--a part of the "Duke in the forest" concept outlined in the University's master plan. v"Everyone involved in this planning process realizes that if we build another big concrete slab, we will have failed," Bigelow said.
Moneta noted that the design architects are still working to identify the best areas where trees and other green elements can "punch through" the plaza. Vitarelli said he hopes they can integrate as much foliage as possible without restricting sight lines on the plaza. Moneta said there is still a lot to be done with the details of the plaza, which will ultimately be critical to the success of the project.
"Surface coverings, 'edge' treatments, seating, lighting, water treatment, art, green spaces, technology and more will obviously be essential design elements yet to be completed," he said.
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