MacKay Hall completes massive renovation

After 14 months of work, the renovations in Iowa State Universitys MacKay Hall are complete.

The $3.1 million remodeling work ended yesterday, and a final walk-through is scheduled for Monday. The renovations included extensive work to the Catherine J. MacKay Auditorium, the student welcome center, a second-floor classroom and the vestibule on the south side of the building, located north of Central Campus on Osborn Drive.

Bob Bosselman, professor and chair in apparel, events and hospitality management, said one of the major transformations took place in room 213, which used to be an auditorium-style room with small wooden chairs. The room now acts as a 36-seat classroom that includes eight wall-mounted TV monitors and movable white boards, with a spectacular view of Central Campus.

The seats were so tiny when that room was built, Bosselman said. That room has been completely redone and its a very interactive room.

The renovation also added new furniture and more space for the halls welcome center. Room 118 now provides more space, and student recruitment specialists will be moving into the room from Lagomarcino Hall.

But Bosselman said the most significant renovation took place in Room 117, also known as the Catherine J. MacKay Auditorium. The 214-seat center was built in 1926, and this is the first major renovation in the space since it was first built.

The seating was very haphazard and in general, with the sight lines and things of that nature, it just wasnt an ideal room for learning, Bosselman said. So it needed some updating and weve really turned it into a modern, 21st-century auditorium.

The auditorium, which used to be a two-tiered space, now has one level of stadium seating and individual desks include swivel chairs, which Bosselman said allows more time for collaboration between students.

The final major development took place on the south end of the building, the vestibule that housed the 1942 Christian Petersen sculpture The Marriage Ring. The middle set of doors that used to lead into the main building have been removed and replaced by a large glass wall. Bosselman said the Petersen sculpture is scheduled to be reinstalled in early August and will now be positioned in front of the wall with seating placed around the sculpture.

We really think this is going to protect it a lot more, and the students wont be bumping into it or sitting on it, he said.

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MacKay Hall completes massive renovation