Dining Hall Expansion

Construction will begin next fall on a $2-million addition to Thayer Hall approved by the Trustees. According to College Business Manager Richard W. Olmsted '32 the expanded dining facilities should be ready by the fall of 1970. Half the cost of the building will be met by the Third Century Fund.

Designed to seat 450 students, the addition will be constructed at the rear of Thayer and will share the present kitchen facilities. A passage closed to students will connect the old and new buildings through the kitchen. The new structure, designed by Campbell, Aldrich, and Nulty of Boston, will be a split-level building with three floors, according to the preliminary drawings. Two of the floors are intended for dining, and the lowest floor will contain dish-washing facilities.

The architecture of the addition, although contemporary, will harmonize with the surrounding Georgian buildings. Extensive glass paneling will utilize natural light. The overall floor space of 40,000 square feet will be divided into several small dining rooms in contrast to the three large rooms in the present dining hall.

Thayer Hall's enlargement is planned not so much to accommodate more students as it is to relieve the present crowding and make dining more pleasant for the students. In defiance of tradition, College food is very popular with undergraduates these days.