The Kessler Campanile is an 80 feet (24.4 m) campanile

Campanile

Campanile is an Italian word meaning "bell tower" . The term applies to bell towers which are either part of a larger building or free-standing, although in American English, the latter meaning has become prevalent.The most famous campanile is probably the Leaning Tower of Pisa...

 located at the Georgia Institute of Technology

Georgia Institute of Technology

The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...

. Designed by artist Richard Hill, it was originally constructed for the 1996 Olympic Games. It is named after Richard C. Kessler

Richard C. Kessler

Richard C. Kessler is an entrepreneur in the field of hotel development and operations. Kessler has been Chairman and CEO of The Kessler Enterprise, Inc. since 1984. He is also Former Chairman, President and CEO, Days Inn of America, Inc. and Former Chairman of Lutheran Brotherhood...

, Tech graduate and former head of Days Inn

Days Inn

Days Inn is a motel chain headquartered in the United States. Founded in 1970, it is now a part of the Wyndham Hotel Group, based in Parsippany, New Jersey, which was formerly a part of Cendant...

s. It is frequently referred to as "The Campanile" or "The Shaft" (a sometimes tongue-in-cheek

Tongue-in-cheek

Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...

 reference to student opinion on the school's pedagogical methodology). The amphitheater and the Campanile recently reopened after a two year long reconstruction as part of the ongoing Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons construction.

Location

The Kessler Campanile is located near the center of Georgia Tech's campus, in front of its student center and directly down Tech Walkway (commonly/formerly known as Skiles Walkway) from the recently-styled "Hill District

Georgia Institute of Technology Historic District

The Historic District of the Georgia Institute of Technology, also known as the Old Campus of Georgia Tech or the Hill District, is significant in the areas of architecture, education, engineering and science, as well as landscape architecture. The area is a Registered Historic Place and part of...

," the campus' historical center. The campanile is surrounded by a 300-seat amphitheater, a gathering place for the Georgia Tech community. It is visible from many areas of central campus.

Design

The 80 feet (24.4 m) campanile has the rough appearance of a twisted obelisk

Obelisk

An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...

, tapering towards the top and capped with a pyramidal piece. It is constructed of 244 stainless steel plates, with each rotated slightly to produce the swirling pattern as height increases. The distinctive peaks intentionally recall the design of Tech Tower

Tech Tower

The Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans Administration Building, commonly known as Tech Tower, is a historic building located at 225 North Avenue NW in Midtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and a focal point of the central campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology...

, the school's traditional symbol and oldest building. Following its completion, the structure's peak design was incorporated into the university's branding as a new symbol for the school.

Music

The campanile is able to play several songs, including Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech

Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech

" Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech" is the fight song of the Georgia Institute of Technology, better known as Georgia Tech. The composition is based on "Son of a Gambolier", composed by Charles Ives in 1895, the lyrics of which are based on an old English and Scottish drinking song of the same...

, the university's fight song through specially designed speakers that reproduce the carillon

Carillon

A carillon is a musical instrument that is typically housed in a free-standing bell tower, or the belfry of a church or other municipal building. The instrument consists of at least 23 cast bronze, cup-shaped bells, which are played serially to play a melody, or sounded together to play a chord...

 "chime" sound of bells. While it used to play the Westminster Quarters to mark the passing of time, it has been silent since 2009.