Sills Hall Makeover Nearly Complete
By Tom PorterA major renovation project at Sills Hall is nearly complete, although you wouldn’t necessarily know it from looking at the building from the outside.
“That’s because many features of the new design incorporate elements inspired by the original construction, and some elements are unchanged,” said Capital Projects Manager Sharon Ames from Bowdoin’s Office of Facilities Management.
The windows and all exterior trim, for example, have been removed, upgraded, and replaced to match the originals, she explained. Visitors have commented that the place still feels like Sills Hall, a hub for the study of languages and cinema that had remained largely untouched, beyond routine maintenance, since its original construction in 1950.
Architecture firm HGA, the group behind Barry Mills Hall and the John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies, was hired in 2022 to create a design that preserves the original footprint of the McKim, Mead, and White building. Construction work began in 2024.
The aim of the project, said Ames, is to reimagine the interior space to improve accessibility, introduce flexible classrooms, offer more opportunities for intellectual exchange, and bring in more natural light.
“The renovation includes a lower-level terrace with tall windows opening to an interior common area, where the daylight from the south facing areas is filling the interior spaces. The interior walls feature oak paneling throughout that bring a warmth to the material pallet while concealing the new heating and cooling systems.”
The sloped floor of Smith Auditorium, meanwhile, has been removed in favor of a flat floor system to create a lower level for classrooms and an upper level for faculty offices and student-faculty collaboration.
Renovations also include nine classrooms and twenty-two faculty offices for Romance languages, German, Russian, and classics. The building will have more faculty offices than the original design, none of which are in the basement, said Ames. “Offices are located in proximity to open student study and collaboration areas, providing opportunities for informal learning and engagement. Classrooms feature current instructional technology and flexible furniture.
“With the construction phase of the project nearly complete,” Ames explained, “the current focus of the work inside is on the finishing elements and activating all the new building services, such as lighting, air conditioning, and ventilation fans.”
New furniture started to arrive toward the end of April and is now being installed, said Ames. The first group of faculty is expected move in prior to Commencement, with the second group arriving mid-June.
“Furthermore,” she added, “as the weather transitions to spring, work on the exterior landscape areas will begin. It is expected that the planting of trees, shrubs, and lawns around the building will continue into early June, weather permitting.”
The interior renovation will be complete by end of May, and the exterior landscaping will be completed by mid-July. Classes will resume fall semester 2025.
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