I apologize if this post seems negative but I found this information regarding the Architecture building interesting. I actually think the building isn't too bad but I haven't spent too much time in it yet, we'll see.



1963. Fisher, Nes, Campbell and Partners

In the end the arch-citadel of reaction remained at Princeton, cozy in its Gothic... A notable compromise that lacked conviction appeared at Princeton in 1960, where Douglas Orr...sought to placate young demands for a modern architecture while assuring old tigers that their house was safe from 'chaos and a jumble of new and daring styles, each screaming for a place in the magazines'...Gothic was gone, but its replacement..was worse, however much it tried to be all things to all men. In 1960 Saarinen was to do the new colleges at Yale, Harvard had commissioned LeCorbusier to design its Fine Arts Building, Pei and Stubbins were designing for MIT. But the pockets of resistance remained, particularly at distinguished Old Nassau where the trustees resolutely covered their ears and eyes that they might hear and see no evil.

This building was a compromise solution to the problem of trying to keep Art and Architecture together without building a massive building. After a relatively quick design evolution it was built for $1.5 million alongside Woolworth on '79 Field to create a new courtyard there. The most important design criterion according to the architect was making the building fit with the parallel McCosh Hall.

A visiting professor, Enrico Peressutti resigned in 1960 over the poor quality of the new designs. In his resignation letter to President Goheen he stated that "my fundamental convictions and principles, and ... responsibilities I have as a teacher at this university have been misshaped and completely reversed by the actual developments on the campus."


Lecture Hall


Studios