Union Renovations Must Proceed

The recent cry to "Save the Union" just doesn't have the same ring as it did in 1861. This new, dignified civil war has arisen at the outcry of a handful of alumni, led by Tweed Roosevelt '64, over the proposed renovations to the Great Hall of the Freshman Union. Though their concern is well-intentioned, the alumni's ominous prediction of architectural destruction is both hyperbolic and misguided.

The University is practical and modern in its need for greater office space to house its humanities departments. The remodeled Freshman Union, it understandably contends, will serve as a fine hall to unite the various disciplines. The new structure will provide a dignified and use-friendly space for professors and students, including four floors of officers connected by a flying staircase, two spacious parlors in the old dining hall and a coffee bar in the glass rotunda.

The Administration is sufficiently conscious of its obligation to protect and preserve Harvard's historical architecture. Philip Parsons, director of planning for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, told Harvard Magazine in January, "We intend to preserve the richness of the original detail, and to add a contemporary flavor." The firm overseeing the redesign, Goody, Clancy & Associates, is well qualified to maintain a balance between old and new to judge from its renovation of Weld Hall and the Busch-Reisinger Museum. Further, the architectural plans will maintain the Union's elaborate cornices and grand doorways.

Thus the issue at hand is simply a misunderstanding between those who value the past and those who value the future. The Administration is preparing the way for a successful academic environment in the 21st century. The alumni are concerned with maintaining sense of the 19th. But the redesign incorporates both perspectives, being at once practical and conservative. The University must be a dynamic institution in order to continually accommodate the needs of the Harvard community.