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Patterson Office Tower

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Coordinates: 38°02′19″N 84°30′23″W / 38.0386°N 84.5064°W / 38.0386; -84.5064
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Patterson Office Tower
Patterson Office Tower in 2006
Patterson Office Tower is located in Kentucky
Patterson Office Tower
Location within Kentucky
General information
TypeOffice building[1]
Architectural styleBrutalism[1]
LocationUniversity of Kentucky
Address120 Patterson Drive[2]
Town or cityLexington, Kentucky
CountryUnited States
Coordinates38°02′19″N 84°30′23″W / 38.0386°N 84.5064°W / 38.0386; -84.5064
Construction started1967
Construction stopped1968
Opened1969
CostUnknown
Height250 feet (76 m)[1]
Technical details
Materialconcrete[1]
Floor count18
Lifts/elevators6[3]
Design and construction
Architect(s)Johnson Romanowitz Architects[1]
Website
ukcc.uky.edu/cgi-bin/dynamo?maps.391+campus+0027

The Patterson Office Tower is a 250-foot (76 m) high-rise building on the University of Kentucky (UK) campus in Lexington, Kentucky.[1] It is UK's only current high-rise following the 2020 demolition of the Kirwan–Blanding residence hall complex, which had included two 264-foot (80 m) towers.[4]

It was completed in 1969 and is named after James Kennedy Patterson, who served as the school's first president from 1869 to 1910. It primarily houses faculty offices and conference rooms, including many of the offices of the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Social Work, Honors at UK, the Dean of Students and Division of Student Affairs. It is located near the White Hall Classroom Building and Main Building. A statue of Patterson sits near the tower.

History

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In 1966, the board of trustees received models for construction of the tower and the White Hall Classroom building.[5] Construction of the Patterson Office Tower began in 1967 and was completed in 1969.[6] The building was named after James Kennedy Patterson, who served as the first president of the University of Kentucky from 1869 to 1910. It is located on the site of the White Hall Dormitory, a male dormitory that stood from 1882 to 1967, the old Carnegie Library, and President Patterson's old house.[7][8] Based on a photo printed in the Lexington Herald-Leader, December 1969 was the first time the university's Board Of Trustees met in the building.[9] In July 2003, a bronze statue of Patterson was relocated to the front of the tower.[10] A fountain was situated near the tower, but was removed in 1999.[11]

On February 12, 2016, Australian philosopher David Chalmers visited the campus to give a talk entitled "Perception and Illusion in Virtual Reality" on the 18th floor of the tower.[12] At the end of 2016, about 1,000 ping-pong balls were poured from the roof of the tower to celebrate the end of the semester.[13] More than 100 students stood below, collecting as many balls as they could with plastic bags, open book bags, and umbrellas.[13] In an article published on December 11, 2018, by the Herald-Leader, which includes $500 million facilities plan to renovate older buildings and construct new ones to accommodate planned enrollment growth over the next five years, the tower's 18th floor was mentioned under the heading "recommended capital project", and if repaired or replaced, would cost $4 million.[14]

Patterson Office Tower was home to the Intermezzo Cafe from 1993[15] until 2022 when the University of Kentucky announced the location would be closed without a replacement.[16] Previously, this location would serve breakfast and lunch.[17]

Features

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Patterson Office Tower is a 20-story building with 18 floors.[1] The building houses faculty offices and conference rooms, including many of the offices of the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Social Work, Lewis Honors College, and the Dean of Students and Division of Student Affairs.[18] It includes 6 elevators along with an office space that is designed for about 960 staff and academic personnel.[3] The tower features a basement that connects the Big Blue Pantry and White Hall Classroom Building.[19]

The 14th floor of the tower, which provides a space for international students to study and make connections with other students with similar interests, was recently renovated in 2018.[20] The renovations of the floor helped create a new space for students interested in the International Studies Program.[20] The area features a student lounge, a conference room, and office space.[20]

Incidents

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In 2011, an overflowing urinal caused damage to three floors in the building[21] after a faulty automatic flusher became stuck in the open position, causing flooding on the fourth floor.[21] The water damaged the second, third, and fourth floors, saturating ceiling tiles and carpets, and some computers and documents.[21] On May 31, 2013, a flasher was reported on the sixth floor of the building.[22][23]

Protests

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In 1970, Patterson Office Tower was the site of a protest in response to the Kent State shootings in Kent, Ohio.[24] On April 1, 2011, students held a protest against racism near the tower.[25] On March 27, 2013, the tower was one of the Fayette County locations for Take Back the Night protests.[26][27] On April 1, 2014, students protested against privatization of dining services.[28] On December 9, 2014, about 40 students held a die-in on the lobby floor to raise student awareness about the recent deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown.[29] On November 9, 2016, students held a protest against Donald Trump after he was elected president on November 8.[30]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Patterson Office Tower, Lexington". SkyscraperPage.
  2. ^ "eFacTS Building Information - Patterson Office Tower". ppd.uky.edu.
  3. ^ a b U. Of K. Building Bids Sought. Middlesboro Daily News. February 2, 1967. p. 2.
  4. ^ Childress, Rick (May 29, 2020). "UK's Kirwan-Blanding towers go down. Some try to save memories of Lexington landmarks". Lexington Herald-Leader. Archived from the original on 2024-01-24. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  5. ^ Brackney, Peter (November 4, 2014). Lost Lexington, Kentucky. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9781625851284.
  6. ^ "A Chronology of UK". University of Kentucky Special Collections & Digital Programs Division. January 2, 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-11.
  7. ^ Vandiver, Bailey (September 18, 2017). "Stump through the years". The Kentucky Kernel.
  8. ^ Thompson, Weston; Birdwhistell, Terry (1998). "The University of Kentucky: A Look Back".
  9. ^ Cone, Carl (1989). The University of Kentucky: A Pictorial History. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 161–163. ISBN 0813116961.
  10. ^ Lewis, George (July 22, 2003). "UK Relocates Campus Landmark". www.uky.edu. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
  11. ^ "University of Kentucky fountain, 1989". Kentucky Photo Archive. 2014-09-03. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
  12. ^ Brennan, Patrick (February 12, 2016). "Famous philosopher shows up early". The Kentucky Kernel. Archived from the original on June 12, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
  13. ^ a b Abrams, Cheyenne (April 21, 2016). "Students unwind ahead of finals week with ping pong drop off POT". The Kentucky Kernel. Archived from the original on July 26, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
  14. ^ Blackford, Linda (December 11, 2018). "UK's $500 million wish list fixes old buildings, constructs new ones". Lexington Herald-Leader. Archived from the original on 2024-01-24.
  15. ^ "9.25.21-3.1.22 Inspections A-L" (PDF). Lexington-Fayette County Health Department. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-01-24. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  16. ^ Baker, Alexis (2023-01-12). "'Where are we gonna eat now?' UK Dining announces the closing of Intermezzo Cafe and Rising Roll". Kentucky Kernel. Archived from the original on 2024-01-24. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  17. ^ "Underground UK: More ways to use meal swipes". The Kentucky Kernel. October 4, 2018. Archived from the original on March 1, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  18. ^ "Fun Facts About UK". Gatton College of Business and Economics. 2017-04-18. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
  19. ^ "Big Blue Pantry". ukcco.org. UK Center-Community Outreach.
  20. ^ a b c Wood, Sarah (April 25, 2018). "International Studies Creates New Space for Students". University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences.
  21. ^ a b c Truman, Cheryl (July 20, 2011). "Faulty Urinal Damages 3 Floors of University of Kentucky Office Tower". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
  22. ^ "University of Kentucky Issues Safety Alert About Flasher in Patterson Office Tower". Lexington Herald-Leader. May 31, 2013. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
  23. ^ "Alert issued after flashing on UK campus". WKYT. May 30, 2013.
  24. ^ "Protest in front of the Patterson Office Tower in reaction to the Kent State shootings, 1970". Kentucky Digital Library. 1970.
  25. ^ Wilson, Amy (April 1, 2011). "Racial Incidents Prompt University of Kentucky Students to Organize Demonstrations". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
  26. ^ "Fayette County: Rally tonight protests violence against women". Lexington Herald-Leader. March 27, 2013.
  27. ^ Hairston, Gail (March 27, 2013). "Take Back the Night to End Violence". University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences.
  28. ^ James, Josh (April 1, 2014). "UK Continues Dining Privatization Talks, Students Protest". WUKY. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
  29. ^ Blackford, Linda (December 9, 2014). "University of Kentucky Students Hold 'Die-in' to Protest Police Brutality". Lexington Herald-Leader. Archived from the original on 2024-01-24. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
  30. ^ "Thousands Join Anti-Trump Protests Around Country". WKYT. November 9, 2016. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
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