presents
The DiGiorgio Campus Center The
ultimate
guide
Graphic by Courtney Niskala • niskalac@thejohnsonian.com
INSIDE:
Learn more about WiNthrop’s newest addition to campus
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THURSDAY September 9, 2010
The
ultimate
guide to the DIGS. At a glance...
by Co u Gr ap h
ics
Zac Craig, freshman marketing major, shoots pool on the first floor of the campus center. Photo by Paul Ricciaridi • Special to The Johnsonian
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Namesake: President Anthony DiGiorgio and first lady Gale DiGiorgio Nickname: The DIGS Square feet: 128,229 Comparative size: Third largest building just behind the West Center and the Coliseum Yards of concrete: 6,000 Bricks: 260,000 Theater: Seats 224 people
Winthrop’s own design star Thirty seconds with Manning Gibson
Photo contributed by Manning Gibson
Winthrop’s Vice President for Facilities Design and Development, Manning Gibson, steered the creative aspects of the new campus center. The Johnsonian’s Jonathan McFadden caught up with Gibson this week. Birthday: May 26 Hometown: Washington, Ind. Educational/professional background: Undergraduate degree from Winthrop University in consumer science, with an emphasis on commercial and textile design; a stint at Parson’s Design Institute in New York, N.Y. Other projects completed at Winthrop: The Stone House, which earned him a Historic Preservation Award, Owens Hall, West Center, Carroll Hall, Dalton Hall
Favorite song: “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Diana Ross Favorite movie: “The Lake House” Favorite book: “The DaVinci Code” Favorite color: Green Proudest accomplishments: “Raising my five adopted sons.” Lifelong dream: “When I slow down at Winthrop University, I plan on visiting the pyramids in Egypt.” Travel abroad: “All over the U.S., I’m a big island person. I’ve been to most of the Southern Islands.” If you were stuck in a traffic jam, who would you want to be in the car with you: “My brother, he’s the entertainer in the family.” Manning’s philosophy on design: “I want to help educate with an ‘awe’ factor.”
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THURSDAY September 9, 2010
Center merges tradition, new ‘flair’ Campus center embodies ‘education by design’
By Claire Byun byunc@thejohnsonian.com
While the newness of the DiGiorgio Campus Center will slowly wane, its architecture and connection to Winthrop’s history will persist. Built to work in tandem with the Lois Rhame West Center, the “DIGS” incorporates the Neo-Georgian style of older buildings on campus, as well as a more modern style. “We always want to build buildings that honor our campus architecture, yet bring a more contemporary flair that will be appealing to students and endure into future generations,” said Walter Hardin, associate vice president for facilities management. The overall project took nine years, and the university began looking to upgrade Dinkins in 2001. However, developers learned the building could not be modified to fit future students’ needs, and Oakland Road traffic would create a barrier for student interaction. “Around 2003 is when we started
The
looking at creating a new heart of campus, central to Winthrop’s westward growth, and the idea of a totally new campus center seemed like a much better way to go,” Hardin said. Student leaders were taken on tours to other collegiate student centers, and talks between student life and staff solidified details about what students needed, wanted and
“”
Around 2003 is when we started looking at creating a new heart of campus... Walter Hardin
Associate vice president for facilities management
what the new building should hold. Inspiration for the center came from DiGiorgio’s vision for Winthrop’s development, which he calls “education by design.” Both the West Center and the DIGS contain pieces of the old Peabody Gymnasium, which was torn down to construct the new buildings. The medallions on the Campus Center’s side are recycled from Peabody, and the new gym’s lobby flooring was originally housed in the old gym. To keep the DIGS presentable, Hardin asks students to refrain from using scotch tape on the walls. Though no secret passages exist in the Campus Center, a strange baby boom happened during construction. Four of the project managers had babies during that time, Hardin said. “It was like the babies all wanted to be born at once so they could grow up fast and be able to use the DIGS,” he said.
heart
of campus
Above: Muhiyidin Moye (left) a liberal arts major and Sherman Marshall play Jimbay’s. They hope to encourage a full drum circle in the common area because they say the acoustics are very good. Photo by Kathleen Brown • brownk@thejohnsonian.com Left: Winthrop held an open house for the center on Aug. 27. A formal dedication ceremony will be Sept. 23-24. Below: Danielle Filuminia, freshman business major, and Marie Smith, freshman special education major, enjoy nice weather in the Community Concourse. Photos by Paul Ricciaridi • Special to The Johnsonian
Graphics by Mika Parajon • Special to The Johnsonian