History
The Third Tower
Since 1969, the WPI Community has envisioned a Campus Center that would provide a "physical, social and philosophical link between academic (and residential) portions of the campus." (Heventhal, 1982). Competition for future students by the college depends not only on meeting and/or surpassing peer insitution's academic programs, but developing a complementary social community. The institution has long believed that the existence of the Center or a 'third tower' would result in a stronger collegial environment at WPI.
The Campus Center fulfills that goal, serving as a place for community, collegiality, socialization, and learning. Including work and meeting space for faculty, staff and student organizations, conference rooms, mail facilities, dining food court, game room, college bookstore, large multipurpose facilities, visitor reception for campus guests, lounges, the Center serves as a gathering place for the entire WPI Community.
Attractive, inviting, and functional facilities have addressed the inadequacies identified by the WPI Community through surveys and focus groups. Since the beginning of the project, the Campus Center Planning Committee has purposefully used the term 'campus' rather than 'student' in its vision for the center because it is indeed a facility which serves and invites every member of the college community.
The site for the Center, behind Alumni Gymnasium, places the new facility at the geographical center of the campus, tying together the academic, recreational, and residential communities. The beautifully developed West Street Plaza, which serves as a hub for the campus, further accentuated the appropriateness of the chosen site for the facility, which faces the quadrangle as well as West Street.
WPI's Campus Center is a lasting reminder to past, present, and future students, faculty and staff of the college's commitment to the excellence and community.
More History
Multimedia
Construction Updates
Last modified: August 06, 2007 16:04:05