JAMES LILLIN
Staff Writer
Stretching from the second floor of the Williams Center all the way to McEwen, Fredonia’s spine bridge had been a standout feature of the campus since it was originally designed by the prominent architect, I.M. Pei.
“I loved being able to watch the stars on the spine at night, or just hang out there in the little alcoves,” said senior political science major Hannah Bullock, “and I’m sort of bummed that it’s gone.”
Although the spine was a central part of the campus, it was far past its heydey. Increasing structural degradation meant that something needed to be done with the spine, and soon.
“An assessment of the Academic Spine Bridge’s condition was completed in 2013 that revealed substantial denigration of the interior materials of the Spine,” said Director of Facilities Planning Markus Kessler, “and since 2013 was accelerated by harsh winters, that continued to worsen the bridge’s condition. The college continued to address the stabilization and annual maintenance of the bridge, but understood a long-term solution needed to be implemented and began evaluating options.”
The bridge was originally meant to connect the second floor exit of the Williams Center with the primary entrance to the Reed Library, which at the time was located on McEwen’s second floor. As time went on, however, many of the Spine’s envisioned purposes were superseded by other structures.
“Although it was the original intent for the Spine to serve as the central pedestrian walkway through campus, it is no longer the case,” said Kessler.
“The main entrance to Reed Library was relocated from the Spine to ground level in 1991 with access from the Spine eliminated. With the completion of the tunnel access between Maytum Hall, the library and McEwen, and the Spine’s closure in winter months, it was no longer used as intended in its design in the 60’s.”
The spine certainly contributed to Fredonia’s aesthetic appeal with bright, open greenery surrounding simple concrete roads, but pains are being taken to ensure that the walkway that replaces it respects the original design.
“During the design phase,” said Kessler, “the campus design committee and architects focused on redesigning the pedestrian promenade in a way that both aerially and on foot incorporates I.M. Pei concepts to recreate the Spine’s aesthetic intent. The plan incorporates elements of the spine such as seat walls that outline the original concave columns in their original location, the use of buff color concrete and pattern for the walkway and a new canopy at the McEwen Hall entrance that is in harmony with the original upper level of the spine.”
Many students are going to miss the cover that the spine bridge provided during rain and snow, and although a canopied walkway was considered, it was ultimately deemed uneconomical.
“It was estimated the overall project budget to build such a structure would be $3.5 million,” said Kessler, “which approaches the amount of money that would have been required to completely rebuild the original Spine. In addition to the excessive cost, a tensile fabric structure would not incorporate any of the I.M. Pei concepts to recreate the Spine’s aesthetic intent, which is the goal for this project.”
Kessler is optimistic that the new design will take advantage of both the architecture and surrounding nature to create an open and aesthetically pleasing space.
“Located adjacent to various buildings and working as a link to the surrounding environment,” said Kessler, “it provides a sense of direction by integrating and organizing different spaces and elements as well as providing an aesthetic awareness by involving the lovely surroundings. One of the important elements of the project was allowing new perspectives of the adjacent buildings and the views between them. By integrating the surrounding architecture with the new landscape, it has transformed one’s experience within the space.“
As it stands now, a sizeable portion of the walkway is still cordoned off for further development, but that is anticipated to change soon.
“The full project is scheduled to be completed mid-October,” said Kessler, “however the walkway is scheduled to be completed by the end of September 2017. As sections of the walkway are completed, they are opened to the public for use.”