GAMBIER – Kenyon College formally dedicated its new Gordon Keith Chalmers Library at a private ceremony on Friday, Oct. 29, at 6:30 p.m.
Designed by Gund Partnership out of Cambridge, Massachusetts, the library opened as a hub for undergraduate research and experiential learning a few weeks ago, according to a press release.
Along with library materials, special collections and archives, the building centralizes offices for the registrar, advising, the Writing Center and student accessibility and support. A new Career Development suite connects students to future careers and includes several interview rooms where students can practice answering questions and find a quiet space for interviews held via phone or videoconference.
Compared to the building it replaces – the combined Olin-Chalmers Library, constructed in 1962 and expanded in 1986 – the new Chalmers Library is considerably more energy efficient. It is the first large-scale building on Kenyon’s campus to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
The light-filled central atrium is awash in rainbows of color from a glass roof art installation by artist David Wilson, the release stated. The atrium also includes the chrome-plated stainless steel sculpture “Artificial Rock #85,” a piece based on traditional Chinese scholar’s rocks, by artist Zhan Wang.
At the Friday ceremony, President Sean Decatur spoke, along with members of the Board of Trustees and others, including students, staff and faculty who will benefit from the new library. A building tour followed the ceremony.
The library recognizes Kenyon’s transformational 13th president, Gordon Keith Chalmers, who served from 1937 until his death in 1956, as well as his wife Roberta Teale Swartz Chalmers H’60, a poet, teacher and co-founder of the Kenyon Review.
Gund Partnership was founded in 1971 by Graham Gund ’63 H’81, an acclaimed architect and dedicated supporter of his alma mater. The firm’s work on Kenyon’s campus includes the Gund Gallery, Lowry Center for athletics, Science Quad, a renovation and expansion of Peirce Dining Hall, and many other buildings. Construction of Chalmers Library was performed by Smoot Construction, based in Columbus.
The library and additional projects comprising the College’s new West Quad were made possible in part by an anonymous $75 million gift, part of Kenyon’s Our Path Forward campaign. After surpassing its original $300 million goal early, in January 2021, the campaign has been extended with a new $500 million goal until the College’s 200th anniversary in 2024, as Our Path Forward to the Bicentennial.
