Duke in Pictures: Pavilion Construction Begins

Duke Student Government President Alexandra Swain and Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta marked the opening of construction on the new Pavilion Wednesday.

The project is the first step in the renovation of the West Union Building, itself a key component of a larger project upgrading key landmark buildings from James B Duke's 1924 university campus plan.

Construction of the Pavilion along Union Drive will be completed in June 2013.  A largely glass enclosure, the Pavilion will house dining operations during the West Union renovations.

After the West Union project is completed in 2015, dining services will return there, and the Pavilion will be opened for event, particularly for those activities currently being handled by the Von Canon halls in the Bryan Center.

Steve Nowicki, right, dean of undergraduate education, said at Wednesday's ceremony the Pavilion, in conjunction with the other renovations, would transform social and academic life "and take the Duke undergraduate experience to a new level."

Nowicki emphasized the curricular opportunities that the Pavilion's event space would make possible, promoting the kind of engaged learning that are the signature of DukeEngage, DukeImmerse and other undergraduate programs.

Progress updates on the project will be posted here.

Photos by Jim Wallace/Duke University Photography