Duke University

The most prominent part of this extensive project is a transparent atrium which has replaced the central part of the original building. The glass, steel, and ceramics of the atrium are perfectly in scale with the existing building, which forms a U-shaped embrace of it. Architecturally speaking, the atrium is completely different in its expression from West Union’s sturdy yet elegant neo-gothic design, which was a preferred style for American university buildings well into the twentieth century. The new addition in no way resembles the existing architectural landscape, but despite its distinctive expression, it manages to blend in naturally.