Sunday, February 5, 2012

BP 4: College Avenue- Journey Through the Center of Campus



                                                             College Avenue

 College Avenue means connection and movement for UNCG campus.  It’s the main street where students travel from class to class and workmen get from one side of campus to the other.  Walking down College Avenue, one can get into any major building on camps: Student Union, Library, and cafeteria, main Math building and Faculty and Alumni house. It’s the central axis on which campus divides Walker Avenue in half from one side of Greensboro to the other providing the closed space we call campus.  On one end is the Curry building which use to be the old education building and on the other is the new school of music.  I don’t think these two buildings represent the end points of College Avenue by chance.  These are the two schools UNC Greensboro was founded on when it was a Woman’s college in the twentieth century.   Education and Music still hold the top two most popular majors on campus today. 
            The function of College Ave is to be a system of movement from one side of campus to the other where students can safely walk to classes and gather.  Structurally, it holds the steam pipes underground running from the main steam plant on campus across to pubic and residential buildings to enforce centrality.  On either side of College Ave runs green space and trees as well as benches and tables for seating.  A negative space has turned into a positive space by the aligning of trees and centrality of the McIver statue facing college avenue.  Because the founder of the University was McIver , his statue facing College Ave. gives even more directional importance to that side of campus. 
            The circles on the ground offer rhythm down College Avenue as it alternates between dark brown bricks and light brown cement.  Also, the circles are placed within the squares to add definition and define point of intersection.  There is also natural alignment run down the avenue by the border inlayed.  When people walk down college ave. everyone usually walks in the middle where the light brown concrete section is instead of walking in the darker brick boarder.  This is a prime example of a Cardo and Decumanus on campus.  The main street on campus with other, intermediate axis running across it designated by the circles.
            Comparing the campus to traditional Roman City, campus is set on a grid like pattern just as the Roman city is.  Also, the Cardo and Decumanus run through the center of the city just as College Avenue and Walker Avenue. acts as UNCG’s Cardo Decumanus.  Just as the entertainment for society is on one end of the city while residential is on the other, the EUC, library and classrooms are on one side while the residential areas are on the other.  Maybe UNCG and Rome have more in common than just a statue.


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