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After almost 100 years with the same clock tower, the UC Berkeley campus has decided to go modern, revealing its plans for the completely redesigned Sather Tower earlier this week.
"They wanted something that would reflect the innovation, the character of California -- just more modern..." said a representative from UC's Office of the President. "That's not to take away from the gravitas of the original Sather Tower."
Sather Tower, colloquially referred to as "The Campanile", was originally built in 1914 and has grown to be one of the most recognizable icons of the UC Berkeley campus. It currently houses a percussive instrument known as a carillon, on which compositions are performed at regular intervals throughout the day, in addition to being stricken according to the time every hour between 8 a.m and 10 p.m.
One of the most noticeable characteristics of the new Sather Tower is the lack of a carillon and clock.
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| Artist's rendition of the new Sather Tower, viewed from Memorial Glade. |
When asked about this change, a UC Berkeley Administrator responded,
"Berkeley has always been synonymous with innovation and modernity, and we feel the university's campus should reflect that. Most students nowadays use their smart phones to check the time, and often turn to their Mp3 players to listen to music. The carillon and clock of the old Sather Tower are relics of an era long-gone; they have simply become obsolete."
"Berkeley has always been synonymous with innovation and modernity, and we feel the university's campus should reflect that. Most students nowadays use their smart phones to check the time, and often turn to their Mp3 players to listen to music. The carillon and clock of the old Sather Tower are relics of an era long-gone; they have simply become obsolete."
The new modern-design of Sather Tower is incredibly simple, and is expected to quickly become welcomed as a contemporary symbol of Berkeley's character and spirit. Its structure features a state-of-the-art blend of aluminum alloy cast into a hollow cylindrical form, internally supported by carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer, a light and strong material used in the construction of golf clubs.
"The cylindrical form really catches the eye. At first I didn't know what to think of it, but after giving it some thought, I realized it was brilliant. The outdated Victorian appearance of the current Sather Tower is nice, but I find it rather drab after seeing this new design. This makes a lot more sense..." says current grad student Todd Myers.
Sather Tower's redesign is a continuation of a campaign to modernize the University's public image, initiated by a redesign of the University of California seal. Old Sather Tower will be demolished in March of 2013, and the 4 million dollar project to build New Sather Tower is expected to be completed in late 2014.
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