Battle Hall Reopens to the Public
After years of restoration and renovation, Battle Hall has reopened to the public, welcoming students, researchers, alumni, and visitors back into one of The University of Texas at Austin's most iconic and treasured architectural spaces.
Designed by renowned American architect Cass Gilbert and completed in 1911, Battle Hall has long served as both a campus landmark and a place of learning, gathering, and discovery. Among the earliest buildings constructed on the Forty Acres, Battle Hall helped establish the architectural character of a young university and remains one of Gilbert's most enduring works in Texas.
The renovation carefully preserves the building's historic character while adapting it for future use, including the addition of new School of Architecture design studios, restoration of the historic Reading Room, updated lighting, reconstruction of the historic first-floor corridor barrel vaults, and the integration of a new elevator to improve access to the library stacks and primary building levels.
The renovated building once again houses the Architecture and Planning Library, newly renamed the John S. Chase Architecture and Planning Library, and the Alexander Archives, reconnecting students, faculty, researchers, and visitors with collections that support the study of architecture, landscape architecture, planning, urban design, and historic preservation. The second-floor Reading Room opened on August 24. Hours are 9 am-9 pm Monday to Thursday, 9 am-6pm Friday and 12-9 pm Sunday. The hours are set by Libraries and found here.
Later this fall, the School of Architecture and UT Libraries will celebrate the library's new name with a dedication honoring prioneering Texas architect John S. Chase.
More than a century after its completion, Battle Hall continues to support the study, practice, and preservation of the built environment. Its reopening reestablishes a vital academic resource while demonstrating the enduring value of preserving and adapting historic places for future use.
More about Battle Hall
Designed in 1909-10 by the New York architect Cass Gilbert, Battle Hall was the first academic building on campus listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its style helped establish the architectural vocabulary for the university and served as a model for future campus buildings, including Sutton Hall (1918), Gilbert's only other structure at The University. Today, Battle Hall is the home of the John S. Chase Architecture and Planning Library, the Alexander Architectural Archives, and the Center for American Architecture and Design. In 2007, the American Institute of Architects included Battle Hall on its list of America's Favorite Architecture, recognizing its enduring significance within the nation's built enviornment.
More about John S. Chase.
Two days after the U.S. Supreme Court integrated American higher education with its 1950 Sweatt v. Painter decision, John S. Chase enrolled in the School of Architecture at The University of Texas. He would go on to become the first Black graduate of the school and the first licensed Black architect in Texas.
Now, the library at the heart of that school will bear his name, thanks to a generous gift and pledge from Chase’s son, Tony Chase, and daughter-in-law Dina Al-Sowayel.
Throughout his long and prolific career, Chase designed buildings that were deeply human- and community-centered. His architectural philosophy embraced the Usonian ideals of Frank Lloyd Wright and aimed to create bright, minimalist spaces that brought people together. Early in his career, Chase worked predominately on Black churches, which often served as the heart of the Black communities. Chase applied the ideas explored in his master’s thesis, “Progressive Architecture for the Negro Baptist Church,” in many of these early works including, the First Shiloh Baptist Church in Houston and the David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in East Austin which remains standing on MLK Boulevard to this day. Learn more about John S. Chase's legacy here.