By JOEL WHITE
After two years of renovation, the Eyring Science Center, one of the oldest existing buildings on campus, is once again home to classes and students.
Construction workers have spent nearly two years renovating the building in an effort to upgrade the facilities and equipment, remodel rooms and improve safety.
“I think everyone is pleased the way the building turned out, as far as the remodeling goes,” said Mike Stratton, BYU director of construction. “We feel it is a 1,000 percent improvement over what the building was like.”
Despite the fact that the work ran a little behind schedule, Stratton is happy with the way the construction is finishing up.
Safety issues were one of the main reasons the reconstruction was done, Stratton said. In addition to an improved fire prevention system, which includes new sprinkler and smoke detector systems, the building is now stronger and will be more resistant to earthquakes.
“The fire marshal and our risk management group said the building has been very well done,” Stratton said.
BYU’s Geology Department is one of a few departments that was moved out of the Eyring Science Center for the construction period. Department Chair Bart Kowallis said the temporary hassle of being uprooted was worth the new facilities.
“Of course, we would have liked to have seen it done sooner, but we’re glad it’s finally done,” he said.
Geology students are now attending class in the new building, and faculty offices are scheduled to open this week.
“I think generally, most students were positive (about the construction), but they were ready to get back in there,” Kowallis said. “Especially our (geology) graduate students. They wanted to start using the new labs.”
Students and faculty are impressed with the new and improved building, even though it is not quite done.
“It’s pretty modern,” said Seth Williams, a biochemistry major from Mattawa, Wash. “It’s got all the newest technology. I really like it.”
Heidi Packard, a history major from Mesa, Ariz., agreed. “It looks a lot better than it used to,” she said. “I’m glad they kept a lot of the cool displays (in the lobby).”
“There are still a few bugs,” Kowallis said, “but it will be a wonderful facility for us.”
Stratton said that there are still a few minor finishing touches to be done on the building, but that the construction should be done before the end of January.
Construction for the project required that a major sidewalk on campus, the west side walkway between the building and the Kimball Tower, be closed for more than a year.
Despite the hassles the construction caused, Williams thinks the construction on campus will be worth the wait and rerouting of pedestrian traffic on campus.
“(Construction) is a necessary evil,” he said. “It’s a hassle, but better for the campus in the long run.”
Not every student shares that opinion.
“It wasn’t really worth it, I don’t think,” Packard said. “With everything they went through and all the time they spent on it, it wasn’t worth it. (The construction) wasn’t worth what looks like just a new coat of paint.”
Overall, however, the students and faculty using the new facilities in the building are generally pleased, and happy for the improvements to the older version of the building, Kowallis said.
The ESC was originally constructed in 1950, when it was named the Physical Science Center. In 1954, the building was dedicated as the Eyring Science Center, named after Carl F. Eyring, a former Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
At the time it was constructed, it was the largest building on campus, and the largest academic building in the mountain west with 167,000 square feet. It was also the first building on campus to have an elevator.
The building also contains the first planetarium constructed in Utah.
The Foucault pendulum, attached 42 feet above the floor of the lobby to show the rotation of the earth, has been in the building since its initial construction. It will be in place as soon as the construction is complete, Stratton said.
