Preview
Photographer
Gus R. Horvath
Date
1958
Description
This photograph shows a man in glasses watching the beginning stages of the construction of Alumni Hall. According to the photographer, “the construction started with footings and foundations - then the floor was poured. The arches were poured in forms on the floor. If I remember correctly, three arches were formed on top of each other with a non-stick coating between. The arches were lifted in place and bracing was introduced. Once the roofing was applied, the forms were built to pour the seating deck. A wall was built to separate the building into two gyms.”
Notes
Alumni Hall is one of the earliest pre-stressed concrete structures of this kind ever attempted. Engineering magazines from the time noted that the eleven 160-foot pre-cast arches used in the building’s construction were a record-breaking span for pre-cast arch ribs used in the United States. Originally the gymnasium had a dividing wall separating it into two sections. On the floor of Alumni Hall is the Fairfield University seal. Renamed the Alumni Hall – Sports Arena in 1981, the gymnasium is the home of the women's Division I volleyball team and the Office of Sports Information. This is one of a series of 34 color slides depicting the construction of Alumni Hall from 1958-1959. The slides have been digitized in chronological order to show the progress of the construction over time, and have the identifiers SL002327 – SL002360 respectively. Image date is approximate.
Publisher
Fairfield University
Collection
Image Archive
Original Format
Slide; color; 2 x 2 in.
Repository
Fairfield University Archives and Special Collections
Copyright
© Fairfield University Archives and Special Collections. This resource may be used for educational or non-commercial purposes. Please direct any questions to digital@fairfield.edu.
Repository Citation
Gus R. Horvath. "Man with glasses standing at the Alumni Hall construction site." 1958. Image Archive. Fairfield University Archives and Special Collections. https://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/image-archive/140.