One of the most noticeable new additions to West Campus—the glass Penn Pavilion—offers food, gorgeous views and natural light to all who come to either socialize or study.
The Penn Pavilion will serve as a dining hall until the renovations of West Campus Union are complete. The structure was built over a one-year period with the help of $25 million, which also contributed to other site work and the plaza extension, wrote Paul Manning, director of the Office of Project Management, in an email. Once the work on the West Campus Union is done in two years, the building will become a fully-realized events pavilion, he added.
Shepley Bullfinch, who designed the Penn Pavilion, chose to feature sheer glass walls on three sides, newly-quarried Duke stone and Duke blue LED lights that come on at night. Bullfinch also designed the Link, Bostock Library, Von der Heyden and the Duke School of Law Star Commons, as well as several rounds of renovations to Perkins Library, Manning added.
“[The Penn Pavilion] is really cool because it seems like we’re eating out in the woods because of the glass windows. It’s awesome,” said Pa’Sion Grimsley, part-time staff at the [Penn] Pavilion. She added that during the daytime most people come in to grab a quick bite to eat before they head off to classes, but during the evening many people come in just to study.
Indeed, the atmosphere is relaxed but not overwhelming, allowing for both socializing and studying.
“It’s a nice space to either eat or work with friends,” Jordan Cirocco, a Pratt senior, said.
The Penn Pavilion, however, is not without flaws, such as insufficient space to accommodate regular foot traffic.
“There are too many people for this to be a primary dining hall—lines get too confusing," sophomore Steven Boyd said. "The natural light though, I enjoy that aspect of it. Not as hot or as humid as outside. [It’s] a good place to read,” he said.
Even people who feel the size constraint think that the Penn Pavilion is the place to be.
“It’s really not as loud as you’d expect a place where people are talking and having lunch to be. It’s not like the library where you’re forced to sit and study all the time—it’s a more relaxed environment,” freshman Kaviti Jain said.Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
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