Yale trustee Holcombe T. Green (left) and his wife, the former Nancy Reade Hall, are pictured here with School of Art Dean Richard Benson at the dedication ceremony.

Green Hall is dedicated as 'versatile' home to School of Art

On Oct. 27, President Richard C. Levin and the deans of the Schools of Art and Drama officially dedicated Holcombe T. Green Jr. Hall, named for the Yale Corporation member and 1961 graduate of Yale College whose generous gift made the renovation possible. Green Hall, now home to the School of Art, is a 105,000-square-foot complex that includes a newly renovated building at 1156 Chapel St. and an adjacent new building at 353 Crown St. Of the total square footage, 1156 Chapel St. consists of 70,000 square feet and 353 Crown St. consists of 35,000 square feet. The architect for this $26 million project was Deborah Berke of Deborah Berke Architect, an associate professor at the School of Architecture. Flack & Kurtz was the mechanical engineer, Robert Silman Associates the structural engineer and Dimeo Construction Company the construction manager. "Thanks to the generosity of Holcombe Green, we have taken a bold first step in Yale's ambitious plans to invest $250 million in the expansion and improvement of our arts facilities," Levin said. "Deborah Berke has designed wonderful new working spaces for our art and drama students, and, by reclaiming an abandoned building, we have made a major contribution to revitalizing downtown New Haven." Yale's plans for its arts facilities in the vicinity of Chapel and York Streets were unveiled on Oct. 26. (See related story.) Richard Benson, dean of the School of Art and professor of photography, added, "Deborah Berke has done a wonderful job with the building. She's renovated a piece of Chapel Street while simultaneously creating a new and versatile home for us for the next century." Green Hall is home to almost all School of Art programs that had been spread among the Rudolph building, several facilities on Park Street and one on Wall Street. The building houses the Paul Rand Center for Graphic Design, a gift from the widow of the pioneering graphic designer and former faculty member to provide state-of-the-art teaching facilities for graphic design. The sole exception to the consolidation of School of Art programs is the sculpture program, which remains in Hammond Hall on Mansfield Street but which may eventually move closer to Green Hall. The School of Art has its own exhibition gallery, a system of interlocking spaces over three levels beginning with a ground-floor space facing onto Chapel Street. Green Hall also is the new home of the Experimental Theater of the School of Drama. Previously housed in the University Theatre at 222 York St., the Experimental Theater joins the Yale Repertory Theatre on the corner of York and Chapel Streets and the University Theatre as a third performance locale for the School of Drama. The complex serves several hundred undergraduate and over 100 graduate students. The theater is designed as flexible space to accommodate various configurations of seating and performance space. Depending on the configuration, seating capacity ranges from about 100 to 200. The theater lobby faces Chapel Street and opens onto the entrance balcony. Both the theater and the School of Art's gallery provide a natural and exciting place for interaction with the wider communities of Yale and New Haven. About 90% of the complex is occupied by the School of Art and about 10% by the School of Drama. T H I SW E E K ' SS T O R I E S Yale announces $250 milion plan for arts buildings Streep, other alumni stars to shine for Yale University gets Seal of the City Yale astronomers spot new planet Grant will fund database for brain research Green Hall is dedicated as 'versatile' home to School of Art ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIPS Chemist J. Michael McBride is the new Richard M. Colgate Professor Eire named T. Lawrason Riggs Professor of History, Religious Studies Slavic scholar Hilary Fink is appointed the Sarai Ribicoff Professor Haskins Lab to study how speakers and listeners interact Research reveals patients don't understand risks of angioplasty Study: Virtual reality headsets ease patients' discomfort Yale team's software results in more accurate polling Actor extols Yale experience and the power of words Heaney recalls when 'poetry came like a grace into my life' Veteran actor Ernest Borgnine reminisces about his career Philosopher to discuss impact of globalization 'Unite for Sight': Undergraduates focus on educating others about eye care English Department to host annual staged play reading Concert to benefit Dwight Hall Tribute to celebrate Copland's life and work Conference to focus on 'Staging Brazilian and Portuguese Theater' Legal scholars to honor former Law School dean Women artists to discuss their works Campus Notes In the News Yale Scoreboard Bulletin Home|Visiting on Campus| Calendar of Events|Bulletin Board Classified Ads|Search Archives|Production Schedule|Bulletin Staff Public Affairs Home|News Releases| E-Mail Us|Yale Home Page