McNamara Alumni Center
Encyclopedia
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
's Twin Cities campus in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
is one of the more architecturally
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
-unique buildings in the area. Minneapolis-based Mortenson Construction began the 230000 square feet (21,367.7 m²) complex in March 1998 and completed construction in February 2000. The building is on University property, but is owned by the University of Minnesota Gateway Corporation, made up of the Alumni Association, U of M Foundation and Medical Foundation.
Overview
Located at the intersection of University Avenue and Oak Street SE, the landmark building resides on land formerly home to Memorial StadiumMemorial Stadium (University of Minnesota)
Memorial Stadium, also known as the "Brick House," was an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. It was the home of the Minnesota Golden Gophers football team for 58 seasons, from 1924 until 1981. Before moving to Memorial Stadium in 1924, the Gophers...
. In fact, the interior of the building features an arch
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
that was once an entrance to the stadium. Outside, there is a small water pool and fountain, although it is not in operation for most of the year because of the region's climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
. The building opened in February 2000 and is named for Richard McNamara, a 1956 alumnus
Alumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
of the university and former football player.
Antoine Predock
Antoine Predock is an American architect based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Antoine Predock is the Principal of Antoine Predock Architect PC. The studio was established in 1967...
in 1996 to design the structure. KKE Architects
KKE Architects
KKE Architects is an architecture firm that serves in the fields of architecture, interior design and architectural planning. KKE is ranked one of the top 50 architectural firms in the country by Building Design & Construction and a Top 500 Design Firm by Engineering News-Record...
of Minneapolis served as the project's executive architect and general manager. The university held a ceremonial groundbreaking for the complex during November 1997.
The building contains two main components: office space and a public reception area. About 75000 square feet (6,967.7 m²) of copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
clads the rectangular portion where university offices are located, including those of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association. Granite supported by 500 steel beams forms an asymmetrical geode-styled area of the building featuring an interior public Memorial Hall, 85 feet (25.9 m) tall. Some 2,200 rose-colored granite blocks weighing up to 1,000 pounds each form the geode's exterior. The structure required 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²) of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
.
Some 900 events annually are held in the center's public spaces, including the expansive Memorial Hall, the Heritage Gallery, or in conference and meeting rooms, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The rock band Incubus
Incubus (band)
Incubus is an American rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in high school and later expanded to include bassist Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich, and Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppell;...
used the Memorial Hall during the taping of its music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
track "Drive", which was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award.
The rental demand for special event spaces at the center and growth in operations of the University of Minnesota Foundation and the Minnesota Medical Foundation, both housed in the center, prompted the University of Minnesota Board of Regents to approve a $9.7 million addition. The addition, designed by Predock, included office and event space as well as an expanded restaurant. Construction began in 2009 to coincide with the opening of the adjacent TCF Bank Stadium
TCF Bank Stadium
TCF Bank Stadium, sometimes referred to as either "The Bank" or "The Gopher Hole," is the football stadium for the Minnesota Golden Gophers college football team at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota...
. The University of Minnesota Gateway Corporation paid for the addition. The addition was completed in 2010 and created an additional 4500 square feet (418.1 m²) of total space. This additional space also allowed for improved traffic flow in the building, reducing foot traffic in the middle of events, specifically in Memorial Hall
In addition, the building is used to host pregame festivities prior to each home football game.
The building was criticized for many reasons when it was being built. Automobile parking
Parking
Parking is the act of stopping a vehicle and leaving it unoccupied for more than a brief time. Parking on one or both sides of a road is commonly permitted, though often with restrictions...
has always been in short supply on campus, and a park area next to the building took away a campus lot. A new parking ramp was constructed nearby to help alleviate this problem.
External links
44.975106°N 93.227741°W