Media Advisory: UB to celebrate grand reopening of historic Crosby Hall on March 14

BUFFALO, N.Y. – After two years of renovations inside and out, Crosby Hall on the University at Buffalo’s South Campus is ready for a celebration. Members of the UB community will gather for a ceremonial reopening of Crosby Hall at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 14.

Renovation work to the building, which houses studio and office spaces for the School of Architecture and Planning, began in September 2021.

The $28 million project revives a centerpiece of UB’s South Campus, embodying the university’s commitment to historic preservation, sustainability and the creation of contemporary spaces for learning. Students, faculty and staff reoccupied the building in time for the fall 2023 semester.

“From spacious studios to flexible spaces, the new Crosby Hall is a premier center for the education of future architects and planners,” says Julia Czerniak, dean of UB’s School of Architecture and Planning. “As we have reoccupied the building it has come to life as a bold expression of our culture of making and spirit of collaboration, and a renewed treasure on UB’s historic South Campus.”

What: Ceremonial reopening of Crosby Hall

When: 1:30 p.m. Thursday, March 14

Where: Crosby Hall, UB South Campus, 280 Hayes Road, Buffalo, NY 14214 (see map).

Speakers include:

• Julia Czerniak, dean, UB School of Architecture and Planning
• UB President Satish K. Tripathi
• Robert M. Haelen, senior vice chancellor for capital facilities and general manager, SUNY Construction Fund
• Madeleine Sophie Sutton, BS ’23, UB master of architecture student
  

Designed by E.B. Green and completed in 1931, the Georgian Revival building has served as the hub of the Department of Architecture’s studio-based experience for nearly 40 years. The makeover restores Crosby Hall’s classical limestone exterior to its original grandeur, reconfigures the building’s interior and achieves new standards in efficiency.

As a result of the renovation, traditional classrooms and offices have been transformed into airy, open studios supporting collaborative learning and full-scale making, a hallmark of the school. Grand entry plazas at the front and rear of the building create a vibrant sense of arrival, offer gathering spaces and connect Crosby Hall to the surrounding campus.

The Crosby Hall project follows a similar historic restoration and modernization of Hayes Hall, the main home of the School of Architecture and Planning, which was completed in 2016.

Renovation highlights include:

• Oversized windows — restored with historic sensitivity — and the addition of skylights flood studios and classrooms with natural light.
• High-efficiency heating, cooling and ventilation systems and passive solar design put Crosby Hall on track to achieve a LEED Gold rating.
• Social spaces include an expansive first-floor lounge and a gallery that doubles as an event or meeting area.
• Three floorwide studios each feature over 120 individual workspaces, with 80 square feet of private workspace.
• Corridors have been converted to flexible spaces for critiques and displays of student work.
• Enhanced educational technologies support dialogue between physical and digital modes of design and making.
• Expanded wireless coverage allows students to advance their projects outdoors.