UT Tower Restoration Exposes Original Library Layouts
Planner Kim Barker details how historic preservationists are returning the Life Science Library to its 1930s design.
By Renata Mehta ·
The restoration of the University of Texas at Austin Tower is revealing the building's original library spaces as workers remove modern additions. Historic preservation planner Kim Barker led a recent tour of the second floor, now designated as the Life Science Library. The project aims to return the structure to its initial design specifications.
Three distinct rooms make up the current library area. Two large reading rooms, the Hall of Noble Words and the Hall of Texas, feature ornate architectural details. These spaces connect to the Hall of the Six Coats of Arms, which originally held rows of card catalogs. The original loan desk remains in place, where staff still process book requests and deliver volumes.
Behind the main hall, book stacks rely on steel columns spaced closely together. These supports run the full height of the Tower. Currently, floors four, five, and six store books. At the height of the Tower's use as a library, floors one through seventeen held collections. The weight of that many volumes placed a heavy load on the building's structure.
The tour is the second installment in a four-part video series. The project team released the footage to show the specific work happening inside the Tower and Main Building. The series documents the effort to revitalize the campus landmark. The initiative, labeled 'Our Tower. Our Time.,' seeks to restore and reimagine the structure. Visitors can find more information at tower.utexas.edu.
The preservation team is focusing on the grandest spaces within the building. The restoration work involves stripping back later changes to expose the original features. The video series provides a visual record of these efforts. The final product will reflect the architectural intent of the 1930s. The project team continues to work through the multi-story structure.
