Historic Mount A library likely to be torn down
Published Thursday October 7th, 2010
Sackville architect says building is an important treasure that should be saved
by Alan Cochrane
Times & Transcript staff
SACKVILLE - The historic Memorial Library building on the campus of Mount Allison University will likely be torn down to make way for a new arts centre.
VIKTOR PIVOVAROV/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT
The historic Memorial Library building on the campus of Mount Allison University will likely be torn down to make way for a new arts centre.
Mount Allison spokesman Tony Frost said yesterday the university has decided to go ahead with plans to build a new centre for both fine arts and performing arts, but those plans won't include restoring or renovating the library building, which was constructed in 1927 as a memorial to the 73 students and alumni who died in the First World War.
Frost said the building will not be kept in its current form because the cost would add about $5 million to the arts centre project for a total of about $35 million. He said the university does not want to put that extra burden onto future students.
Robert Eaton, a retired architect who has done extensive research on the old library building and championed the cause of saving it, said yesterday he is very disappointed with the decision. He said it might be possible to salvage some of the old building to incorporate into the new centre, but that hardly appeases those who wanted to see it saved.
Eaton said the Memorial Library building is important to Mount Allison because it is an architectural treasure and has been an important part of campus life for decades. It was built in 1927 as a tribute to students and alumni lost during the First World War. It was used as a library and meeting place for many years, until it was replaced by the Ralph Pickard Bell Library in the 1970s. But it had a second life as the university's student centre and pub.
The Memorial Library building was designed by Andrew Randall Cobb, a U.S.-born architect who was educated in Canada, the United States and France. Cobb designed many other buildings in Atlantic Canada, including the historic Central United Church in Downtown Moncton which is now being renovated into the Moncton Peace Centre.
Eaton said a master plan done in 2002 wanted to use all or part of the old library and make it part of the new arts centre.
"They hired Canada's best architect who said that the memorial library was an important building and it would make a great part of the arts centre. The idea was to build the arts centre and use all or part of the old library and make it really interesting as they used part of the old and mixed it with the new, which is what people do today."
Eaton says the design of the Memorial Building "imparts a bold unadorned form with square-pitched roof and strong clean gables. It is built of rugged local red sandstone setting a standard for future university structures. On the upper floor running from one end to the other is the elegant reading room with an arc-vaulted ceiling and large airy windows."
Frost said the plan is to create a new arts centre that will incorporate fine arts and performing arts together under one roof. In the early states of the planning, it was thought that the old Memorial Library building could be incorporated into the new centre. However, he said there are significant structural and electrical issues that would cost too much to overcome. He said planners want to create a building with good acoustics, special lighting and high ceilings for performing arts, and the old building just didn't work with the plan.
At the moment, the old library building is not being used and the plaques paying tribute to students and alumni lost in the wars have been moved to the new student centre on campus where they are more visible.
"We respect memories, but the university needs to consider the needs of future students and we don't want to saddle them with increased costs," Frost said.
But Eaton says there are many other alternatives to the plan that could result in the old library being saved, along with a lot of money. He suggested various additions and renovations to existing buildings that would likely save millions of dollars.
"But they have blinders on. They have their mind set on building this big new building and they're not willing to look at the other alternatives so in the process they are destroying something that I think is valued by alumni," he said.
Personal note: I look at this building and can't help thinking that this will be the fate for Moncton High as well..........
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