LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING
Violette Hall may look the same on the outside, but wait until you get a peek inside the newly renovated building.
Winter 1998 - Vol. 3. No. 2
Features
Bud Hunter
Homecoming 1998
Preparing Teachers
Violette Hall Renovation
Departments
Around the Quad
Foundation News
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Alumni News
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Summer
1998
Winter 1997
Summer 1997
For the past two years, construction work has been in progress at Violette Hall, but now the end is in sight. The final outcome of the Violette Hall renovation includes thirty-six newly-designed classrooms, including six computer classrooms, a theatre-style 250-seat hall for guest speakers and student meetings, four new conference rooms, and a commons areas for student use. Faculty have already moved into the offices, and classes are scheduled to begin in the new classrooms in the Spring '99 semester. By then, most of the labs, facilities, and rooms should be ready for use.
A new building within an old building
When viewed from the outside, Violette Hall looks untouched. The outside facade appears as it always has with green vines trailing down the red brick walls and imposing columns pointing the way to the entrances. However, when you step inside the building, the drastic makeover is obvious instantly. Once inside, the only reminders of the previous structure are the brick walls of the courtyard.Using an innovative architectural design, the inner courtyard was enclosed to make it part of the original building. What was forming the outside brick walls and windows facing into a courtyard open to the sky are now what you see when you are in the inner part of the building. Where flowers and grass once grew, you will now find the new auditorium on the first floor and a new student study lounge on the second level. The overall effect is an attractive blend of modern architectural design with the traditional red-brick theme of the original building.
The most obvious addition to the new and improved Violette Hall is an ultra-modern 250-seat auditorium found at the center of the building. It is equipped with three movie screens designed for special presentations. The first floor also houses a lecture hall with an 80-to-90 seating capacity. The Parents Council Project Computer Lab, featuring 50 high-powered computers, is located on the second floor above the auditorium, along with faculty offices.
The new design features many unique details. In place of the normal up-and-down staircases usually found in institutional buildings, Violette Hall features a gently curving wide staircase that circles around the auditorium and up into the student study lounge on the upper level. The open design of the student study lounge creates a loft affect that looks out over the first floor and up to the new roof that covers the former courtyard area.
The area just below the new raised roof line in the center of the building is lined with a double tier of windows that allows natural light to flood in. Combined with strategically placed lighting and light-colored walls, the building is extremely well-lit, especially on sunny days.
Something unexpected can also be found in the newly remodeled building on the second floor. The student study lounge features a grand piano that will be used for special occasions and receptions. "With the piano, I think we wanted to make a statement about the liberal arts nature of the University," said Dr. Robert Dager, head of the Division of Business and Accountancy and chair of the Violette Hall Renovation Committee.
Step into the future
State-of-the-art technology has been incorporated throughout the building. In addition to the six computer classrooms, five of Violette's classrooms are wired for ports for laptop computers at each student workstation. Other new technical features include television monitors placed at each corner of the building on the first floor, as well as on the second floor for the offices. "Instead of having posters hanging that nobody reads, the TV monitors will be an electronic bulletin board for each division," said Dager. In spite of the many advancements in technology, some things never change - the good old-fashioned chalkboards can still be found in the classrooms.Technology for the building was partially supported by a $100,000 gift from the State Farm Companies Foundation to Truman State University. The original appropriation for Violette Hall came from the proceeds of a $250 million bond issue approved by Missouri voters in August of 1994. The University has supplemented this funding with local funds for technology and furnishings. President Magruder said, "We are grateful to the State of Missouri for the $7.2 million appropriation that made the Violette Hall renovation possible. The project will support student learning at Truman in a wonderful way."
The Violette Hall Rededication and Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
took place during Homecoming weekend.
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