University at Albany Foundation

University at Albany Foundation, Albany, New York

University at Albany Foundation report to the Getty 1 of 2 (PDF) 12.9MB

University at Albany Foundation report to the Getty (Maps) 2 of 2 (PDF) 3.1MB

The University at Albany is a product of Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller's ambitious program to establish modernist campuses across the state to accommodate the postwar baby boom. Designed in 1961–62 by the renowned American architect Edward Durrell Stone, Albany's main campus is historically significant as a singular harmonious work by a master architect. Stone's campus is composed of quadrangles—a series of courtyards ringed by school buildings—in his signature style, an adaptation of the modern International style that also incorporates classical traditions, contemporary materials, and Byzantine elements. Recognizing that these dramatic and architecturally significant buildings are under threat as the campus expands, the university is using Getty funds to develop a preservation policy to address planning considerations for the Stone precinct.

University at Albany Foundation received a Getty grant in 2007 for $180,000 to support campus heritage planning.

Report Summary

Purpose: The main goal of the University of Albany Foundation project was to develop a preservation plan for the campus core, a distinctive 54-building complex set on a podium designed between 1962 and 1971 by mid-century Modernist Edward Durell Stone. The plan was to provide relevant information to guide an effective comprehensive approach for making decisions about preservation of this area, especially important as the complex becomes eligible in the coming years for designation in the National Register of Historic Places.

Historic Designation(s): None.

Planning Process: The University at Albany Foundation assembled a research and planning team composed of representatives of senior administration, facilities and construction management, campus planning, media and marketing, finance, community engagement, architecture and space management, archives, and selected university faculty (from geography and planning, history, and English) and staff.

Outcomes—Products: The “Campus Heritage Preservation Plan” (2009) was the direct outcome of the project. The plan presents a study of campus history and development, offers a survey and overall analysis of the site and individual buildings, and makes recommendations and guidelines for long-term strategies in making decisions about the complex. Notably, the preservation plan’s recommendations took into account suggestions from previous studies and master plans (1974 to 2008), and largely focused on the articulation and refinement of the podium area. These three areas make the case for the importance of preserving the core and developing policies to do so in the future, thereby establishing preservation as a priority for the future care and growth of the university.

The project also resulted in the creation of the Advisory Planning, Architectural, and Aesthetics Committee to oversee the state’s Master Capital Plan for the maintenance and preservation of the physical plant at the University at Albany.

Outcomes—Strategies and Goals for the Future: It is hoped that the preservation plan can guide future decision-making that will balance the preservation of significant architectural qualities of the site with the programmatic needs of a functioning and expanding university. The final report identifies three zones of preservation priority (high, moderate, and low) and offers ten general guidelines for preservation policy to respect Stone’s campus legacy.

These guidelines cover topics such as preservation zones, the site and podium itself, existing building exterior and interiors, and new buildings and additions. They also call for the consideration of preservation as both a process and treatment for long-term care. As such, they urge the university to regard these goals in funding, planning, and execution of these efforts. Further, the administration is charged with having information about the development and evolution of Stone’s campus coordinated with a website to be linked with the University at Albany’s website.