http://www.news.uiuc.edu/ii/archives/991104.html#anchor394709


We'll leave the light on

Recently nighttime pedestrians and motorists began seeing a new view of Altgeld Hall. The campus landmark is now a visible symbol at night with new interior and exterior lights that illuminate the historic building's 132-foot bell tower.

It's believed the bell tower has been dark for more than half of the 102-year-old building's history, though it's not clear when the lights were removed or why.

Both Chancellor Michael Aiken and then chair of mathematics Philippe Tondeur were enthusiastic early proponents of lighting the bell tower. "The idea is to give the campus visibility at night by lighting one of its most beautiful landmarks," said Tondeur who is now director of the Division of Mathematical Sciences for the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C.

It was a fulfilling project for R. Dan Davis and others instrumental in completing the project.

"All the years that I've been here on campus the bell tower has been dark," said Davis, construction project coordinator with the Division of Operation and Maintenance. "We got to witness and were instrumental in the lighting of the bell tower -- something that will be here for years to come. So many people enjoy [Altgeld Hall] during the day and now more will enjoy it at night."

The project was not without difficulties. "The biggest challenge was hauling tools and drop cords up the iron ladder that you use to get up there. And climbing out on the clay tile roof," Davis said.

The lights are on a programmable timer and are on from dusk until midnight. There are one interior and four exterior lights that illuminate the lower level, which will eventually house the new donor-funded 48-bell carillon. Two lights are on the ground on the north and east sides; two on the roof area on the south and west side; and one large light on the floor that shines up. There also are four interior lights that illuminate the upper level, which houses the chimes.

Engineer Brad Bowen put together the lighting design. David Garner, assistant director for the Office for Project Planning and Facility Management, coordinated the project.

Although it was tricky enough to get to where the lights were to be installed, there was more to it than that. "We had to achieve a careful balance," Davis said. "We wanted the lights to highlight the tower itself, but not produce so much light that it would conflict with the observatory."

"The biggest challenge for my office was rounding up the funding," Garner said. "At one time this project was to become part of the new carillon project, but eventually we got funding from the Provost's office to go ahead with it."

Others instrumental in the project were subforeman Gary Schweighart and electricians Kevin Taylor and Greg Moen, all with O&M's electrical construction shop 32.

When the building was completed in 1897, it was described as one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture west of the eastern seaboard. Nathan C. Ricker, then dean of the College of Engineering and head of its department of architecture, and James M. White created the design, which included arched doorways, vaulted ceilings, skylight rotunda, tile roof and the bell tower.

The building was the campus's original University Library and was renamed Altgeld Hall in 1926 when the library moved to its new building and the College of Law moved in. John Altgeld was governor of Illinois at the time it was built and considered a great friend of the university. After the College of Law moved to its new building in 1955, Altgeld Hall remained the primary residence for the department of mathematics and the mathematics library.

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.