Waycross College Remodeling

During the Fall Semester of 2009, Waycross College began a massive remodeling job in its A Building. The A Building houses the library, and the library was the focal point of the remodeling. The other major aspects of the remodeling were The Pit (a sunken commons/study area in the center of the A Building) and the addition of a coffee bar. Additionally, the administration and faculty suites were to be re-painted. The whole project was projected to be finished by January 1, 2010 and to cost $1.5 million. In theory, this all sounded like a great idea... except for the part about remodeling THE LIBRARY while school was in session. This was what the A Building looked like throughout the fall:

Keep in mind that there was noisy construction going on behind this plastic sheeting and that there were classes being held in rooms off the left wall. Not to mention that the library used to be located behind that plastic sheet. So what did the school decide to do about the fact that it was essentially shutting down its library for an entire semester? Well, they set up a temporary library: ONE ROOM. There were a few computers and a couple of books, as well as a few chairs. And that was it. If you wanted a particular book, you had to ask one of the librarians, who then had to venture into a storage room to locate the book you requested. No book-browsing here!

Finally, the 2009 Fall Semester ended, and the remodeling job was (mostly) finished. The faculty suite has been painted various shades of depressing grey, all of which looked to have come from either prison or Navy surplus. The coffee bar is not yet in operation. It's actually my favorite part of the whole renovation, even if it does give off a seedy hotel lounge vibe. The Pit and Library entrance taken together look very much like the Starship Enterprise crash-landed onto a Southern plantation... and then there's the Library.

It would seem that the architect did not at any point in the project consult with actual librarians to discuss which architectural aspects make a good library and which are simply terrible ideas. He also seems to have missed out on one of the fundamental tenets of architecture: Pillars Support.

Coming out of the faculty suite.
The coffee bar is to your right, The Pit is in the fore.

Coffee Bar to the right, The Pit to the left, Library entrance in rear.

Cashier's office, overlooking The Pit.

Pillars in the Library.
Note how they all end several feet shy of the ceiling.
They support nothing.

This is the worst part. Here is the Circulation Desk in the Library.
Guess where the books are....
Behind the wall, where the Librarians and Library staff can't see them!!

The Pit is not yet finished, although it doesn't look like anything they do will return it to a cozy hang-out-n-study spot as it was before.