For the good of the many: Student Center gets an upgrade
Photos by Andrew Larimer
Written by Andrew Larimer
Originally designed in 1909, the SCAD Student Center has been everything from a synagogue to an Episcopal church to a modernized student center for art students. Being accustomed to change, the center’s interior recently underwent an aesthetic transformation. New furniture and an arcade are part of this installation.
In the downstairs lobby, neon lights of the arcade games flash through its glass windows. Two skee-ball machines, two pool tables, a foosball table, a Star Trek pinball machine and a two player Pac-Man fill the lobby with electronic sounds and a distraction for students in need of a reprieve from their work. A snack bar cuddles the right corner of the lobby serving soft drinks, fresh salads, Odwalla fruit smoothies, bottled water, muffins and more.
“Personally — and I don’t want to sound like a kid,” said Madeline Naughton, a second year graphic design major from Western Springs, Illinois, “but by playing on those pool tables, I can forget about all the craziness of college life and just take a break from it all.”
The second floor also received a face-lift. Long navy blue couches with deep purple pillows accompanied by brass coffee tables skirt the reception room. Continuing the pattern of purple and navy blue, cushioned chairs hug the wall and are ready for use if the room is ever overloaded with students.
While the second floor was sprinkled with some new designs, the third floor got more of a revamp. The recreation area is littered with new and modern furniture for meetings, coffee breaks or even naps for the students. Lime green chairs and citrine-colored corner chairs stand on a carpet containing hues of green, yellow and red mixed and matched together. Coffee tables inspired by stair designs separate these pieces of furniture and make for a good work space. Thanks to the patterned fold out chairs and cowhide rugs, there is even more room for miscellaneous activities.
However, not all students view these changes as beneficial. “Instead of putting money into the student center, I wish more spending went into the actual programs,” said Emily Bain, a third year graphic design major from Chesapeake, Virginia.
While modern, the new designs manage to coincide with the pieces of history still prevalent in the building. The stylistic motifs — including keyhole arches, windows with arabesque patterns and even the corbeled detail domes please the eye as the backdrop of a new era of furniture.
That’s what a student center is for: students to recollect themselves, work on their craft, find a bite to eat and, more recently, channel their inner Pac-Man.
All the designs and layouts were conceived and produced by the SCAD design team.
