Sterling Library, the Collegiate Gothic Architectural Style and Sketching Details

 

Sterling Library's Architectural Surprises

“Throughout SML, in almost every available wood, stone, and plaster surface, is carved a design that will remind the viewer of the dignity and significance of learning in general and of libraries in particular. A visitor passing through the archway separating the nave from the exhibition corridor will walk beneath four quotations on the value of written knowledge. Above the circulation desk, field bosses on the ceiling represent various writing implements, from quill pen to typewriter keyboard; and a painting of Alma Mater on the back wall is surrounded by allegorical figures representing her academic schools. In the exhibition corridor, stone corbels picture scenes that include a fifteenth century scholar, a reader with a book and jug, and a student receiving his diploma.

Find a characterisitc feauture of the Collegiate Gothic style in the library, whether it be an arched window, a doorway, a vaulted ceiling, a bas relief or anything that catches your eye, then take a photo, draw a sketch, comment and post that work on your blog. All work should be done during your time here.

 

Photo and Sketch Compliments of Edgar in the Intensive English Program 2022

 

Collegiate Gothic Style 1890 - 1940

History

The Collegiate Gothic Revival style is an early 20th century adaptation of the 19th century Gothic Revival style to serve a specific function, educational buildings. The Gothic Revival style, which flourished from the period of 1830 through 1890 in the United States, was often chosen for churches and institutional buildings due to its impressive, medievally-inspired form. In the early 20th century the Gothic Revival style reappeared for an appropriate choice for both university and secondary school buildings. Prominent universities such as Boston College, Yale, Duke, and Princeton employed the Collegiate Gothic Revival style in this period to create an atmosphere of respected antiquity.

In the 1920s and 30s, many new public and private schools were built in Pennsylvania as a result of changes in educational policy. These new larger and more complex school buildings had specialized space design for cafeterias, gyms and technical training and were often of Collegiate Gothic style. While these designs were sometimes rather pared down versions of the more ornate forms of the style with only a few decorative details like an arched and recessed entryway or a few decorative panels, these school buildings are clearly part of the Gothic Revival tradition. Masonry construction lent a sense of permanence and substance, a fitting image for the public education system, especially as it strove for even greater academic offerings.

The Collegiate Gothic Revival style can be found throughout the state in the public and private secondary schools of cities and towns, and also on university campuses. The Philips Memorial Building at West Chester University is a noted example of this style and was built in 1927. Constructed in 1930, Bishop McDevitt High School (originally called Catholic High School) in Harrisburg is another good example of this style as seen as a private secondary school.

Common Building Types

• high schools

• colleges

• administrative buildings

Identifiable Features

1. Gothic arch window and door openings

2. Masonry (brick or stone) construction

3. Bas relief decorative panels or plaques

4. Portico or recessed porch entryway

5. Buttresses

6. Tracery windows

7. Crenulated parapet

8. Tower or spire

from:http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/portal/communities/architecture/styles/collegiate-gothic.html