Lewis Morse, photo supplied by UWinnipeg
The University of Winnipeg’s Centennial Hall is considered to be one of the finer examples of late-Modernist architecture in Canada. Lewis Morse, at the time a young graduate from the University Of Manitoba School Of Architecture, is the innovative designer behind this iconic UWinnipeg building, and he will be speaking about how Centennial Hall came to be on Friday, March 18, at 12:30 – 1:30 pm in Room 2L17 (Lockhart Hall). This informal talk is free and open to the public.
Showcased on the cover of the March 1973 Progressive Architecture magazine, Centennial Hall received international praise after it opened in 1972. Created as a groundscraper, Centennial Hall fills in the space between and above existing buildings on the campus. The structure features undesignated and flexible spaces, an exposed structural and mechanical system, and transparent facades, much like the Centre Pompidou, in Paris, France. In fact, Centennial Hall’s extensive use of glass — much of which has been lost through later alterations — incorporates a key concept to many Modernist buildings, transparency.
Centennial Hall is nationally recognized as a building of great architectural importance, but little recognition has been received locally. UWinnipeg’s Dr. Serena Keshavjee, Associate Professor of Art History, has written extensively about the building, and some have suggested a Centennial Hall Advisory Committee be created to guide all future renovations of the building.
