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The Electronic Media An international architectural design competition that started with 20 invited participants has come down to four finalists whose credentials span the globe: Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners Ltd., London; Bernard Tschumi Architects, New York City; Morphosis Architects, Santa Monica, Calif.; and Davis Brody Bond, LLP, New York City. A juried selection process, headed by Roger Schluntz, dean of the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of New Mexico, will choose the winner in late June. Intended to enliven and elevate the vitality of campus intellectual and campus life, the building will rise dramatically from the steep hillside just southwest of the Folsom Library, punctuating the Troy skyline with an exciting message about Rensselaer and its commitment to the arts and culture. “The idea now in every architect’s mind is to throw this thing out from the hillside, to have it fly off the ridge,” says Balfour, who will not disclose a favorite. “These are all extraordinarily gifted architects. It will be a world-class building no matter who wins.” The new building will foster an enriched cultural environment, broaden campus discourse, showcase Rensselaer’s world-class offerings in the electronic arts, and reach out to the Capital Region communities and beyond. It will bring national and world leaders to address critical issues, offer a venue for national events, such as a presidential debate, and campus gatherings like Honors Convocation. The Future Is Closer Than You Think Buildings, faculty, programs. Money. “The anonymous donor had two essential purposes,” Haviland says. “The first was to transform the institution in order to do great things. The other was to leverage more support for Rensselaer.” Glenn Brown ’54 believes it will succeed. “I know there was a fear that because of this large gift alums would say, ‘They don’t need my gift of $100 or $1,000 any more, it’s so insignificant.’ But in fact, the alums I’ve talked to feel energized by this. They say, ‘This really puts Rensselaer on the map.’ And because of that, I believe we’re going to see increased support from a broader base of alumni.” The future is indeed closer than it appears. The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute that emerges will change the world. |
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| Two state-of-the-art facilities will be added to campus to support the Plan’s initiatives. (Image courtesy of Burt Hill Kosar Rittelmann Associates/Bohlin Cywinski Jackson.) |
The anonymous gift of $360 million is historic in its magnitude and its scope. A look back at Rensselaer’s history shows us that there is a precedent for such anonymous generosity. John Marshall Lockhart, Class of 1887, was the son of one of the founders of Standard Oil. Lockhart lived his life as a Pittsburgh financier, steel maker, and benefactor with a passion for anonymity. Months after his death in 1939, it was revealed that he had given in excess of $5 million to Rensselaer under the pseudonym “Builder.” (In a very rough calculation, Lockhart’s total giving is akin to something like $107 million in today’s dollars.) In the 1931 Rensselaer Annual Report, President Palmer C. Ricketts wrote: “There is a modest quiet man who lives in a city many miles from Troy without whose interest and help the Institute would be far from the school it is today. He is ‘the Builder.’ For 45 years he has been helping the school, helping to pay for land, Pittsburgh Building, dormitories, gymnasium, chemical laboratory addition, architectural building, shop addition, and new Club House... These are only a small part of his benefactions.... “But modest as he is, he must realize what great work he has done for the school, for education, and for his country. And he must understand that these buildings, and the great funds he has established, are not for today only, but that their use will be extended, for ages to educate young men from many states and countries... some of them to become great men exerting powerful influences for good and for the advancement of knowledge.” |
| "Launching The Plan" | |||||
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