The prison makeover

Renovations to the Bryan Center have begun and are expected to pick up over winter break in the hopes of finishing the makeover in time for the 2013 academic year. Unrenovated since 1982, it is high time for the BC to be renovated. We are excited about the changes to come, as they will bring improvements in the building’s aesthetics, functionality and accessibility. We outline what students can expect from these renovations and how they will impact student life.

Although many of the physical changes to the Bryan Center are cosmetic, we should not underestimate the value of aesthetics. We look forward to the proposed changes, as currently the BC is poorly lit, disjointed and outdated. The renovations will bring high-efficiency lights, improved color palettes and innumerable glass doors and windows—including on its main facade—giving the building a light and airy feeling. This will be a marked improvement from the BC’s currently dreary interior and exterior, which have earned it the nickname of “The Prison” from some administrators.

Offices and student centers will especially benefit from glass partitions, equipped with more fluid, creative meeting spaces. New furniture, floor materials, and signage will make the BC an altogether more pleasant building. Taken together, the BC will have a more energizing and connective aesthetic.

In terms of function, the BC has always been a patchwork space, with restaurants, offices and theaters thrown together. With the new West Union destined to be the multi-purpose student social hub, the new BC will be one step closer to its true purpose: a multi-purpose student services hub.

Currently, the BC is free-for-all space, and students share it—specifically the Von Canon rooms—with employers looking to recruit, outside charities holding events like blood drives and alumni social events. After the construction of the new Events Pavilion, which will flank the BC, any non-student-related events will be moved there, making the BC specifically for students. Moreover, the newly relocated LGBT Center as well as other vastly improved organization spaces will give students the convenience and collaborative energy of centralized offices. The relocation of the Office of Student Affairs from the Flowers building to the BC, right near the main entrance, is another positive change. Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta will now work directly among the students he seeks to serve.

The other crucial improvement to the BC is accessibility. Currently, navigating the BC poses a significant inconvenience to the disabled, especially going up and down the BC’s various labyrinth-like levels. The new blueprints sport greatly improved accessibility, including new sliding entry doors, ADA restrooms on the middle floor and leveling an awkward platform in the current Textbook Store. Although these may seem like tiny changes to most students, they will make the BC much more friendly to the disabled members of our community.

Duke is undergoing major physical changes, and the impending shuffle and renovation of various student services over the next few months may prove cumbersome. But one thing is for sure: After the last shiny glass wall is installed, students can look forward to a vastly improved BC.