cowgill hall

The following four photos I found on a Virginia Tech photo database my friend Ken told me about. They are of Cowgill Hall, the main architecture building at Tech. Of course, some of you already knew that : ) Cowgill is where I spent my formative architecture-studying years in college. I know the building like the back of my hand, still.

The Montgomery Ward-esque architecture was a little much at first, especially when one considers it was surrounded by the neo-Gothic excesses of the rest of the campus, but I grew to like it a lot; not just for what it was, but for what it wasn't as well. It's the only building visible from the Drillfield without a single piece of 'Hokie-stone,' the predominant building material at Tech, or brick. While several Modern buildings were built in its wake that emulated details from it, Cowgill is the only one that doesn't look ridiculous in a modern context.

Cowgill's changed somewhat since these photos were taken. The plaza has been dug up and a new building now resides under it and connects to Cowgill, with huge skylights where the trees used to be, adding to its severity. That said, I can say without question that it's still a good building, functionally and architecturally. Enjoy.