Dining Hall Renovation - A first look

Bob Snyder: We're in the atrium of the Dining Hall. This space is being expanded and highly modified. What you have behind me, you'll have an A&W Root Beer and a Taco Bell. And on the opposite side, you will have a large convenience store. In the current dining hall, what you have to do is come in, and then you have to transit about 100 feet of the building to find the stairs, to go to eat. In the new dining hall, you'll come through the front doors, you'll see a glass staircase that leads directly up to the second floor - it's a dramatic difference. Currently in the dining hall there's a rotunda set of stairs. It's directly in the middle of the building. This set of stairs will be removed; it will no longer be an entrance to the second level. On the lower level, this room will be a locker room and a receiving area. On the upper level, where the stairs are currently, there will be a solid floor. The Mongolian Grill will occupy this space in the center. The ceiling above us will be removed, and a basilica type dome will be put in place above us. From the floor to the top of the basilica type dome will be about 46 feet. We're up on the second floor balcony level, at the servery. In the new building, this floor will extend out to the glass wall on the front of the building and there'll be six balconies that the students will be able sit out on, overlooking the Fountain. Up here, where the seating is, will be a mezzanine or an atrium kind of area that will lead into the new dining hall. On the new building will be large glass balconies - and what I mean by that is that they will not have metal railings per se. You'll feel like you are looking at nature - and that's what we want.