IUPUI Campus Center, Part 3: The Cube, Details, and other things

I wasn't expecting this review of the IUPUI Campus Center to last this long! Nearly two weeks between Part 2 and the finale... anyway.

As I mentioned in part 1, the main entrance to the Campus Center is from Vermont Street, which is master planned as the center of campus. But for most people in Indianapolis, the first (and sometimes only) thing that people see is this...
"The Cube"

It is located at the northeast corner of the building and faces the intersection of Michigan and University. It is possibly the most visible piece of the entire structure.
The fourth floor opens onto the top of the Cube, giving way to some impressive views. Unfortunately (or at least on the day I was there), the terrace on the Cube was locked. Is it only open for special functions? If so, that is a sin, I think.

On the third floor, the Cube houses a bullpen for student organizations. University recognized student groups can request a cubicle and it becomes the home base for their operations. I felt like I was walking through a news room at a paper. I'm certain it is a valuable space for these groups and by working together in a common space, I bet they are able to bounce ideas off of each other.

The glass that forms the Cube has a silk screened pattern on them, which blocks the sun and reduces glare without having to deal with curtains. Therefore, the Cube is always transparent for those looking out as well as looking in.

Second floor contains the Admissions office. In theory, this is the starting point for prospective students.

Around the corner are individuals meeting rooms, giving Admissions staff one-on-one opportunities with future IUPUI students.

Underneath the Cube is the bookstore, which has exterior signage so that anyone cruising through campus on Michigan knows that there is a Barnes and Noble here.

Details

It seems to me that the Campus Center has been set up for future flexibility. All of the offices, amenities, and spaces face out towards the hallways with storefronts and signage. As needs change, as students change, as the university changes, the spaces inside the storefronts can change while maintaining the same continuity on the outside.

The industrial loft look continues with the guardrails. A welded wire mesh is attached to steel angels, creating panels between rail posts. They are painted prior to installation. The concrete floor finish beyond the railing is distressed, giving an already been used look.

A challenge to making changes in a concrete structure is dealing with mechanical functions like electrical outlets, communication outlets, etc. It is a given that someday an extra electrical outlet will be needed or an internet access point can be deleted. Unlike drywall on studs, you can add outlets and hide wiring. And to vacate a junction box that was preformed into the column will leave with an empty hole. So here, they use exterior mounted conduit and junction boxes from the start. No, it's not a "finished" look, but it's honest! And given the nature and style of the building, I would expect a "finished" look.

Graphics
Given the number of functions that this building houses, the ability to move and direct people becomes paramount. It is difficult to infer what functions are where without the signage. Wherever the escalator meets a floor, directional signage is there to help the users.



Each space has signage above their storefront entrance. And the signage is consistent. The post office and the admissions office use the same style of signage with the same letter height, spacing, and font.

Where most spaces have signage that is parallel to the wall, certain functions of great importance, like restrooms, use perpendicular signage.

The life size graphics as you enter the restrooms assure you that you did enter the proper restroom

Final Thoughts
As I mentioned previously, from a functional and programmatic standpoint, this building is a home run. The most public spaces are located closer to ground level. The most retail of spaces are given the most visible locations. The spaces connect well.

From a site layout perspective, I have positive things to say, though I may be alone. The main entrance faces what will be the eventual front lawn (or Main Street...or something) of IUPUI. So it is set up for the future. The bookstore takes up the prominent corner of Michigan and University, giving it plenty of visibility to through traffic. Unfortunately, it does give the feeling of turning its backside to the north, towards the medical campus. Or at least at street level, as it connects to the new cancer facility via skybridge. So this is certainly a place where the design could be improved.

Someone had mentioned they didn't care for the building being right up on the street. Most buildings in a university setting have a setback that allows for lawn or plaza spaces. But I suspect that part of the desire of this building is to draw people in, if nothing more than to get them to spend money at the food court and bookstore. If this building were set back, like the library, people passing by might be intimidated to enter. By being on the sidewalk, you can see the activity inside and feel confident that you can enter.

My thoughts on the aesthetics of the Campus Center are pretty positive as well. The exterior architecture, with the extensive use of glass, is very open and inviting. The grand hall creates a moment of awe for those entering for the first time and a moment of pride for those that use the space on a regular basis. The openness from outside to in continues. It feels like a community space.

I enjoy the industrial loft feel, though I again may be alone on that. Being in this space, I can't help but think of a warehouse converted for retail use (not unlike the West End development in Dallas). The finish, the materials, the detailing plays into it.

My biggest disappointment with this building is actually the (future bell) tower. Older college campuses, especially those run by churches and religious orders, normally have a church or chapel as the centerpiece of the campus. And the connecting steeple acts as the "signage" for people in the distance.

When Thomas Jefferson laid the University of Virginia out, he placed the library where the chapel would, emphasizing that at a state run university, higher beings give way to higher thought.

For years, the centerpiece of IUPUI has been the library. It sits in the middle of campus. It has a large lawn with a beautiful fountain. It has been the inspiration for a long time IUPUI logo. But the Campus Center was setting itself up to be the new center of campus. And the tower was making an effort to become the new symbol of IUPUI.

Unfortunately, it falls short. Literally. When viewed from the river, the Campus Center tower somewhat stands out. But from the West Street, and really from most points on campus and around town, the tower becomes lost.

Ball State recently built a bell tower in order to identify that the new center of campus had moved north from the old quad. They went big. And the mission was accomplished.

With IUPUI's Campus Center, the building would have been as successful with out the tower. The money could have been used, instead, to finish the theater space. Given the vertical nature of the campus and the surrounding environment, a true landmark tower would need to be much taller.