Preview
Photographer
Gus R. Horvath
Date
1958
Description
This photograph shows the foundation wall and construction site of Alumni Hall looking north. Loyola Hall is on the left beyond the range of the camera. 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.
Digitization Date
2007
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. "Foundation trench for the construction of Alumni Hall looking north toward athletic field." 1958. Image Archive. Fairfield University Archives and Special Collections. https://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/image-archive/143.