The cylindrical building that has been home to the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences for fifty years will be demolished after two studies, one in 2001 and one in 2003, concluded that the building could not be renovated to maintain overall efficiency, according to Lisa Johnson, university architect.
While the Board of Trustees has approved the measure to demolish the building, the space is still being utilized. PAMS and CHASS have moved out of the building into their new homes, SAS Hall and Withers Hall respectively, and the University Space Committee has declared Harrelson Hall to be used as swing space, according to Johnson, meaning that no new permanent occupants may move in, but temporary uses are permitted.
“[Harrelson Hall] was the temporary home of the Sociology and Anthropology departments when the 1911 Building was renovated,” Johnson said.
Harrelson Hall will also be crucial during the renovations of Talley Student Center, according to Johnson. Various student affairs groups from Talley will be located temporarily in existing Harrelson offices on all three upper floors, and the University Bookstore will temporarily move to the ground floor of Harrelson, which will be temporarily enclosed. The Bookstore will relocate by the end of the spring semester, and the student affairs groups will move to Harrelson at various times based on the phased construction schedule for Talley. During this time period, Harrelson will also continue to house classroom instructional space, according to Johnson.
“All parties will move out as the new Talley Student Center becomes available in fall 2014,” Johnson said.
After the completion of the Talley Student Center renovations, which are slated to be complete by fall 2014, the University will demolish Harrelson Hall.
Completed fifty years ago, Harrelson Hall is one of the mainstays of campus. According to the Harrelson Hall Replacement and Renovation Study, 84% of all undergraduate students are assigned classes in Harrelson Hall during their undergraduate career. The building houses 59 classrooms, and the seating capacity is 2,912.
According to Johnson, the University received approval from the North Carolina General Assembly in 2004 to build a replacement for Harrelson Hall after a study of the building indicated that renovations to the building would not be effective.
“Renovations to correct code deficiencies would result in a 35% reduction in current classroom seating capacity, a loss of office space, and an overall reduced building efficiency,” Johnson said. “Furthermore, much of the building cannot be renovated to meet ADA requirements due to the limitations imposed by the structure of the building.”
Johnson said that the $13,608,500 that was originally allocated for renovations to Harrelson was reallocated to the new building, SAS Hall, which opened in 2009 as the new home to the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences.
“With the opening of SAS Hall, all of the office space and over one-third of the classroom space was vacated,” Johnson said.
Although the University has decided to demolish Harrelson, there is nothing that causes a structural safety concern in the building, according to Kevin MacNaughton, associate vice chancellor for facilities.
“This action does not constitute a condemnation per the definition typically used with respect to buildings,” MacNaughton said. “There are not any unsafe conditions in Harrelson.”
The inconveniences that Harrelson Hall poses in terms of noise level, restroom availability, ease of access, and the general layout of the building have contributed to the building’s unpopularity in the eyes of many students, like Haley Thornton, senior in biological sciences, who has had three classes in the cylindrical building.
“[Harrelson] is my least favorite classroom set-up on campus,” Thornton said. “I feel that the shape of the building really makes it inconvenient to get around from classroom to classroom.”
Thornton said she also had concerns about the accessibility of the building to persons needing special accommodations – one of the reasons that the University was authorized to construct a replacement building.
“I often wondered how people who rely on wheelchairs would get to the top floor,” Thornton said.
The replacement for Harrelson Hall, SAS Hall, has been generally well-received among students like Lindsey Pullum, a junior in political science.
“SAS Hall is a beautiful building,” Pullum said. “It has great structure, light, and utilities.”
Although the University has not decided what will take the place of Harrelson on the Brickyard, some students are already coming up with ideas.
“If anything is to replace Harrelson,” Pullum said, “it should be something to give tribute to Chancellor Harrelson.”
Former Chancellor John William Harrelson, who passed away in 1955 – five years before completion of Harrelson Hall – was the first N.C. State alumnus to serve as chancellor.
“To preserve the impact [Harrelson] had on the campus during his time as chancellor,” Pullum said, “I recommend a statue or dedicated plaque in his name where Harrelson Hall once stood.”
Some students are proponents of adding lawn space to the Brickyard in Harrelson’s place.
“I think that a green space would be a great addition to the monotony of the Brickyard,” Thornton said. “I feel that it would really help our efforts to beautify our campus.”
