“I appreciate the people who spoke life back into me when I needed it most.” ~ Unknown
from the West
The Ag North complex of buildings is being torn down to make way for another Chandler Hospital tower. When you treat half a state, a single tower hospital isn’t enough. On the one hand, I’m proud of UK for beefing up the med center and its specialists, research, and wide-ranging services. On the other hand, it’s devastating that this incredible architectural complex is being destroyed because of it. There are few mid-twentieth-century modern buildings as brilliant as Ag North that are still standing in Lexington. The adjoining Garrigus Building is equally striking in its Brutalist style, and while the two together make little sense in theory, in reality, on UK’s campus, they create an unparalleled snapshot of American architecture. Willful neglect has made it easy to justify their doom, but the preservationist in me weeps thinking they’ll soon be no more, replaced by aesthetically inferior structures, ripping away yet more of UK’s character. Fortunately, University Archivist Ruth Bryan understands the loss and has worked hard to bring together a group of people to document as much as possible while we still can. I learned a lot yesterday, and I’m ready to go back and do a better job. These buildings are worth it.
to the East
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