Last weekend I meet up with some members of the Syracuse Photographers Association to explore the architecture found on the Syracuse University (SU) campus in Syracuse, New York. About a dozen photographers attended including Debbie from Ithaca and her husband. SU has been around since 1871 with the campus featuring late 19th and early 20th century buildings as well as modern day designs. I have a personal history with a couple of the ones I am showing you today.
Hall of Languages
The Hall of Languages on the Syracuse University campus in Syracuse, New York. Nikon D700/28-300VR, 1/125s, f/16, ISO 4500, EV 0, 48mm focal length.
The Hall of Languages was the first building constructed on the Syracuse University campus back in 1871. Built in the Second Empire style designed by architect Horatio Nelson White using Onondaga limestone at a cost of $136,000. The east and west towers were part of the original construction while the central tower was not added until 1886. The building was the home of the College of Liberal Arts from its beginning, although other schools and departments have also occupied the edifice. A section of the eastern wing is said to have been used as a natural science museum at one time.
The Hall of Languages was the location of my one and only class at Syracuse University while I attended the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Still needing 3 credits in English to meet my graduation requirement, I took a creative writing class from a professor who thoroughly enjoyed teaching it. Her enjoyment was infectious and I found myself completely engrossed in the assignments. I credit her with my continued efforts at writing and why I look at it as fun and not a chore.
Newhouse Communications Center III
Newhouse Communications Center III building on the Syracuse University campus in Syracuse, New York. Nikon D700/28-300VR, 1/125s, f/16, ISO 1250, EV +0.3, 70mm focal length.
Built between 2005 and 2007, the Newhouse Communications Center III cost $31.6 million. Just a bit more expensive than the Hall of Language was. As the name implies, this is the third building named after Samuel I. Newhouse who was founder of Advance Publications. Advance Publications prints newspapers, magazines from Condé Nast and Parade and owns cable television and Internet companies. The set of buildings house the Newhouse School of Communications where many famous alumni like Bob Costas, Joe McNally, Dick Stockton, Mike Trico and Steve Kroft learned their craft. The Newhouse Communications Center III building features a Collaborative Media Room, designed with clean lines, sleek furniture, and floor-to-ceiling glass panels overlooking campus and includes an expanded 2,500 square foot café and 350-seat auditorium.
Bowne Hall
Bowne Hall on the Syracuse University campus in Syracuse, New York. Nikon D700/28-300VR, f/16, ISO 360, EV +0.7, 28mm focal length, HDR image.
Bowne Hall was built in 1909 for the Department of Chemistry at a cost of $175,000. Named after Samuel W. Bowne, an SU Trustee from 1893 to 1911, who contributed $100,000 towards the building’s construction. Today, very few laboratories exist as the building had a major renovation in 2010 covering 17,000 square feet. This made room for the Syracuse Biomaterials Institute, a cohesive collection of faculty from Syracuse University, SUNY Upstate Medical Center and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.
In the summer of 1979, I took a six week long class in Bowne Hall in organic chemistry. I needed the class to enter the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. No class, no transfer. The class was four days a week and included a 2 hour lecture and 2 hour lab each day. I spent every night in the library preparing for the next day’s work. I achieved an A for the class and was able to start my work towards a degree in Wildlife and Forest Biology. Whew!
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My dad worked at ESF for many years, including during the time you were there. He retired in 1985 and was a machinist in a shop near the paper mill. He made all sorts of custom stuff for various experiments professors wanted to conduct. He also did a lot of maintenance work and construction of some things needed by the College.
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Wow, Larry, I might have seen him around campus. I can just imagine the stuff he had to fabricate for the nutty professors at ESF.
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The Hall of Languages is both my favorite image in this set and favorite building. I know from experience that lining up a seemingly simple centered architecture shot can go wrong in dozens of ways, all of which you avoided, and also didn’t suffer from any lens distortion that I can see.
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Thank you, Mark. I tried to keep the lens as perpendicular to the facade as possible which kept the lens distortion to a minimum.
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I like the Hall of Languages, too. So much prettier than the more modern buildings
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The older buildings have character instead of the boring flash of metal and glass.
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What a grand and lovely building Hall of Languages is… and cool name too. Really great shot. I rather like the old buildings. 🙂
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My dad, 2 grandparents, and several other relatives are alumni of SU… so I grew up with pictures of the Hall of Languages all over my house. It’s still my favorite building there, even if it does look a little haunted!
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So, how did you end up at Cornell? 🙂 I am still partial to the Crouse College castle.
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Real nifty HDR image of Bowne Hall. I don’t know if it was intended but I like the fact that there’s a lot of orange and blue. 🙂 The Addams Family House…um…er…the Hall of Languages is a sharp one, too.
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Not intentional. HDR processing brought out the sky reflection in the windows.
I bet old Herman, Grandpa and Lily would feel right at home in the Hall of Languages.
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I like your HDR image, something that I have to learn next year.
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I reviewed a good book about HDR awhile back which you should find very helpful called Practical HDR.
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The funny thing is that I’ve seen all of these buildings in person, yet never really seen them like they are in these images, especially the Newhouse Center, which is hard to take in because of how big it is. Great stuff.
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You have to climb those stairs up to Crouse College which is where I was. Easy to get the whole building in that way. 🙂 Thanks, Mitch!
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