Berea College's Music Building gets Renovated
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If you've noticed a lot of construction going on at Berea College lately, it is because the college decided several years ago to renovate several of the older buildings around campus and developed a master plan for this purpose. One of the buildings that was selected to have work done was Presser Hall, which is the music department's building located next to the intersection of Chestnut and Ellipse streets. Presser was initially slated to begin its renovation in 2006 or 2007, but when the administration building, Lincoln Hall, collapsed in 2001, the school redid their plan and the order of buildings that would receive work. Presser was "bumped up" on the renovation schedule to receive work starting in 2002, and the college began working with Music Department Chairperson Dr. Steve Bolster to develop ideas regarding what work would be done. |
The building was redone for three main reasons: to improve the mechanical and safety status of the building, to make the facility handicapped-accessible, and to add space for programs. At the time of the planning, most rooms in Presser only had one electrical outlet, from which multiple outlets and extension chords were run, and also pipes past their warrantee needed replacing. Plumbing leaks and steam pipe breaks were virtually annual occurrences.
Dr. Bolster and the rest of the Music Department created a list of everything they would wish to have done with the building, and this was given to architects to design the renovation. A plan was developed including most of the department's wishes, which included redoing the entire interior of the building, changing the room layout, drastically changing the building's large performance space-- Gray Auditorium, and adding on an addition. Also, storage space would be added, six more pianos would be added to the student lab, the front porch would be extended and white marker boards would replace the traditional chalkboards that had always been there.
The extra space the addition would provide would be to house an elevator, bathrooms, a grand stairway, and lobbies that are encased in glass on the backside of the building that look out towards the mountains. A 70-vehicle parking lot would also be added to the back side of the building.
| For those who have never been in Presser, the building has four stories plus an attic. There are first and second floors, and then the lower levels are known as upper and lower basement. The lower basement now has rehearsal halls, one that can house both the college choir and band, and a small ensemble rehearsal room, 11 practice rooms, storage space, a student lounge, a kitchen and the band director Chuck Turner's office. |  New glass viewing area is included in each floor's lobby. |
The upper basement is where the majority of music faculty's offices will be, along with two classrooms, a computer lab, a listening lab, a music education resource center, choral music libraries, a seminar/meeting room, and storage space.
Gray Auditorium takes up the majority of space on the first floor, and it will now be a one-room hall after the stage is extended. Sound vestibules, which are areas between the doors to the lobby and the auditorium, have been added to keep sound and light from coming in during unnecessary times. Two front offices were removed to make the lobby larger, the piano lab moved into a former classroom and the department secretary Jeanette Davidson has now moved around the corner from her previous space.
The second floor has added a second classroom, a new seating arrangement and sound vestibules to the balcony, a lobby area that is next to the glass viewing area, and now has three offices.
Dr. Bolster is quite satisfied with the improvements. He says that the building and department were in need of the changes, and that the department will see the benefits. Dr. Bolster believes that the work will create a better performance facility-- which will be one of the best in the region is his opinion, and that the building as a whole will be more aesthetically pleasing.
 The extension to Gray Auditorium can be seen in yellow. |
As for Gray Auditorium, Bolster sees "a huge difference. It looks like a modern hall now," Bolster said. "Also, the seats will be larger and more spread out so they will be more comfortable for the audience," he continued. The Music Department is scheduled to start moving in to the new Presser in mid-August and the building is slated to open for full use in October. |
written by Evan Bolster
