William
A. Edwards designed Memorial Auditorium, now called University Auditorium,
as part of an elaborate administration building which included a 190-foot
tower in the overall design. While the cornerstone for the auditorium
wing was laid in 1922, the building remained unfinished for years.
In 1977, the Auditorium was renovated and expanded according to the designs
of Gainesville architect James McGinley.
This
building is a fine example of Collegiate
Gothic style with its large arched windows with delicate tracery,
decorated vaulted ceilings, gargoyles, exterior ornamentation, and spires.
The 'heart' of the UF campus, University Auditorium is a part of the University
of Florida Campus Historic District, a collection of buildings added to
the National Register as an historic district in 1989. It is Century
Tower, built in 1953 in commemoration of the university's centennial. |