Leah HennigThe University Commons sticks out like a beautiful sore thumb in the University of Alberta’s skyline. In fact, it is one of the only beautiful and presumably fully functional buildings on campus. The iridescent reflective quality of the oversized glass cube that makes up the north side of the building, in beauty, can only be compared to the magnificent and beloved Chicago Bean. Or, the mysterious Talus Dome.
The new and illustrious human-sized aquarium that is the Commons offers us many services such as seats to reset your woeful backs and feet. Not to mention numerous windows to ponder from and bookable rooms to yearn in. Oh the joys of meandering the contemporary brutalist halls of the University Commons. All adorned with the greyest of grey cement, the woodiest of wood, and the warmest of lights.
Surely this space will turn into a favourite stop for respite for my fellow human-fish larpers, big light haters, ponders, and yearners alike! Only an oaf would gripe on about how this building cost an estimated $250 million. Yes, that money could have been used to address the university’s mounting deferred maintenance. Or, even used to properly compensate academic and non-academic staff. But, we are no oafs. We love Chicago Bean-inspired cubes attached to interesting brick buildings.
Frankly, I wish the building had cost thrice as much as it did so we could have thrice the amount of pondering and yearning in this fine fish bowl! Perhaps the building should have just stayed under construction forever, as some kind of campus heirloom. I mean why not? It had already been under construction for some people’s entire bachelor’s degrees anyway. Or maybe we could have added a large slide, or perhaps archival mid-century modern future. We already spent $250 million, why not spend a bit more on more random stuff we don’t need.
