herr2ck: Hotline Bling

Photos from April, later November 2023. Writing last updated June 2024.

The Drake, previously the headquarters of the Theatre Department, was at the top of my priority list of buildings on campus, and the first one I ever photographed. The 2022-2023 school year was its last season of shows, and the building was soon to be demolished for the Cannon Drive relocation project and construction of the new flood prevention walls along the Olentangy River. Honestly, Ohio State has been pretty demolition-happy lately, so I’m a little disappointed that they’re continuing to take down/renovate interesting buildings like this one on campus. I even forgot to see Watts Hall before they tore it down in fall 2022.

Bonus picture of Watts Hall. See if you can spot the mid-century “Ceramic Engineering” sign. (Google Maps)

The Drake’s position was pretty out of the way, on far west campus. It sat north of John Herrick Drive, south of the cyclotron, east of the Olentangy River and the veterinary buildings, and west of Lincoln and Morrill Tower. I went inside once for a theater gen ed I had. Outside of that, I would see it every time I went on the Olentangy River Trail. I don’t think most contemporary students even knew this building existed unless they lived on west campus or they were a theater major.

History

Herrick called the Drake the “Drake Union,” and its official name as set by the board of trustees was the “Edward S. Drake Union.” He noted that it was also referred to as “River Union and Drama Facilities,” “Drake Center,” and “Marina.” The name “Drake” came from Edward “Beanie” Drake, who was the manager of the Ohio Union from 1913 to 1946.

(Knowlton Archives)

The Drake was designed by architect and Ohio State alum Todd Tibbals, partner of the firm Tibbals, Crumley, and Musson. It was constructed between 1969-1972 at a cost of $4.5 million. The contractor was Knowlton Construction Co. Intended to be a second union for students who found the walk to the Ohio Union to be too far, it also served as a theater to replace the Stadium Theater under the east side of Ohio Stadium. Additionally, it housed Buckeye TV, the Theatre Department, and Archie’s Alley, a bowling alley that closed in 1999. According to Herrick, the Drake was the replacement of a long-planned theater addition to Mershon Auditorium. As of 1985, it had 79,605 square feet of net assignable space.

A 1962 campus master plan proposed other structures to be built alongside the Drake, such as a post office and retail buildings, but these remain unbuilt.

(Knowlton Archives)

The Drake’s Brutalist design, in all its concrete glory, was a bit controversial. I personally found it very appealing, particularly because there are very few campus buildings designed in this style (the only ones I can think of are Weigel Hall, Wilce Student Health Center, and Cunz Hall, all since altered). Ohio State’s campus is a generally pleasant amalgamation of architectural styles, and I think the destruction of this building removed some of the campus’s character.

(Not my photo)

I know the plutocrats on the board of trustees will never demolish anything like Orton Hall (though it is scheduled for renovation in Framework 3.0, so for all I know the gorgeous interior will be hacked out), thus campus will at least retain some variety, but there’s enough Modernist/Contemporary garbage on campus already. Seriously, Timashev is just a big wall of gray if you don’t look at it from the correct angle. I can’t wait until I send my kids here and every building is a glass box that looks exactly the same. I get that there are practical reasons to replace buildings, but as a student I am left to wonder if this is really worth my tuition money. I would much rather see a renovation or reuse of the building than needless destruction. It’s even more of an insult to not even see the building replaced.

(Knowlton Archives)

Pre-Demolition Photos

Anyways, on a sunny April afternoon during finals week, I sought out to document the Drake before its demolition. It was an average spring day on campus: tour groups gawking, graduates taking pictures, and lots of students spending time outside. My usual route past the RPAC was oddly blocked off:

This was the first phase of a project replacing the concrete around the RPAC and pool for “water diversion and walkway enhancements,” and it was supposed to go until spring semester began in 2024, but as of posting it’s still ongoing on the RPAC’s east side. [I believe the project concluded around the beginning of the autumn 2024 semester.] It created all sorts of fun chaos during football season, too. I had to go around the RPAC in order to take my usual path.

Finally, I reached the path in between the Twin Towers and started to get a glimpse of the building.

I wasn’t sure if the inside would be open, so I made it a point to cover as much of the exterior as possible. Luckily, it was. See if you can spot the Block O molded into the concrete.

Approaching from the bridge connecting it to Morrill Tower:

It looked like some minor demolition work either began or was about to start, judging by the barricades and dumpsters about. Flanking the building from the right side (sorry about the glare):

Looks like they’re sold out for the season (again, I apologize for the quality).

The Cannon Drive relocation project well underway:

I went around back and tried to cover the huge wall of windows. Apparently I forgot my phone has a wide-angle lens, which I suddenly remembered and used in a later photo.

Those brown and blue fencing units were labeled “AquaFence.” Their website advertises them as a sort of temporary flood protection fence. I guess that explains why Ohio State needs a flood wall…

Ruins of a boat slip?

I believe that the Drake also served as storage for the rowing team in the past, which was corroborated by some of the old photos hanging on the walls (keep reading…) Perhaps that’s what the garage doors two pictures ago were for?

The Cannon Drive project also gave the section of the Olentangy River Trail running through campus a bit of a haircut -- you can clearly see it in the following photo of the old cyclotron labs:

There used to be tree cover surrounding this area, but now it’s gone. It feels very odd and empty.

A view from the bridge over the Olentangy. Lincoln Tower almost looks like a hat on top:

Zoomed in:

The new Medical Center Tower can be seen under construction in the background. OSU can build that stupid high-rise, but stick students in dorms without air conditioning.

Another view of the decommissioned cyclotron with the Shoe in the background:

Okay, walking inside now.

Front desk:

The sign says they were having a “Theatre Flea Market,” and gave instructions on how to check in. Unfortunately, I think it was intended for theatre students and not the average Joe. Also, that sign on the back wall was super cool. They had a slightly more vintage interpretation on the doors.

The hallway had prints of vintage photos on the walls:

The one on the left is an architect’s drafted perspective of the project. I’m not sure if the center mass and corner windows/vents were ever painted white, but I like that look. The photo on the right appears earlier in this post since it was available online.

More cool pictures that outshine my own poor framing:

I love the picture on the left, it really highlights the oppressive nature of brutalism. It’s just a pure wall of concrete, the monotony only challenged by the grooves and the small section of awning visible at bottom right. If only my own photography skills were that good, ha! The photo on the right appears to be on either the extreme right or left side of the building. If that room still existed, I either missed it or it was renovated to the point of becoming unrecognizable. Something tells me that the latter is the case.

Finally, I sort of figured out what I was doing:

I adore that picture on the left. The interior design and potted plants SCREAM 80s. Can you tell I love design from that era? The one on the right makes me laugh because the Oval still looks the same way on a warm summer day. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

The right picture is Archie’s Alley, but I didn’t know there was a gym…makes sense considering this place used to be a student union. Detail shot of the pins and the rowing team at work:

In that photo on the right, the Olentangy River Trail didn’t exist yet, and I guess there used to be a small pond behind the Drake. According to Herrick’s map, it continued behind the camera into the Olentangy River.

After the photos, I proceeded to the atrium at the rear of the building:

At some point they must have changed out the light fixtures and repainted. The furniture was moved, which did provide a more open floor plan and promoted movement across the building, but it definitely seemed a lot more empty. Its quality also appeared to be a downgrade…the comfy, stylish couches of the past were replaced by folding tables and metal chairs. I tried to be respectful of the students here studying.

Mime Brutus:

Hanging on the wall was a portrait of “Beanie” Drake. I hope this work got preserved and stored somewhere safe, it would be a shame if it was destroyed with the building.

While walking past the doors to the theatres, I noticed one was filled with signatures:

They all appeared recent and my guess was that students, faculty, and alumni were allowed to sign it before the building was closed. Besides, I don’t think these doors were in the building in 1972 ;)

While wandering the halls trying to find anything photogenic, I noticed a former restaurant in a hallway adjacent to the front desk. There was a random person inside (who looked a little old to be an OSU student…) so I couldn’t take photos of the whole room, but I was able to get the kitchen:

Based on the trash cans, I bet this area hadn’t been used for that purpose since the 90s or early 00s. I think it had a couple chairs and vending machines at the time as a sort of “study area.”

I tried going downstairs because I knew there were some interesting things down there, but I ran into some trouble. There was someone who looked like a professor supervising by the stairs, and when I rounded the corner into the basement, there were several students moving things out the exit door on my right. Additionally, there were a few more students in the Buckeye TV studio area. I’m kicking myself for not taking pictures when I was there for a class. I was obviously out of place, and I didn’t want to disturb them, so I went back upstairs. There was another stairwell that led downstairs as well, but it led to a closed door that I didn’t bother trying. This was the only picture I ever got from downstairs, which I took the time I visited for my class:

Just looks like a usual empty classroom, nothing special. After that I decided to try going upstairs. While I think the exterior architecture of the Drake was cool, I can’t say the same about this section used for classrooms:

Uh oh, looks like I noclipped through reality and entered the backrooms.

I meandered around upstairs for a bit, but it wasn’t very photogenic. It also appeared that classes were in session, as the occasional student or professor would walk through the hallways. So I gave up and went back down to the ground floor to see if I missed anything. Originally there were people in the area across from the atrium, but they cleared out, so I went to check it out. Unfortunately, the space appeared similar to the central area, so I chose not to bother taking any photos. There was a Phantom Brutus, though:

The rooms on the far left side (where the other exterior entrance leads to) was Theatre Department headquarters. Again, there were people around, so I once again declined to document it. At that point I felt as if what I captured was “good enough” and left.

I’m dissatisfied with my initial coverage for a multitude of reasons. The main problem was that there were several people out and about, especially in the downstairs and upstairs areas. Since I’m not a theatre major and this was only my second time in the building, for some reason I was worried about getting confronted, or even yelled at or kicked out (god forbid). I mentioned earlier why the basement was a letdown, so that annoyed me as well, considering the majority of the cool stuff was down there. In hindsight I should have asked the people around for permission and mentioned being an architecture major, they likely wouldn’t have minded.

The second reason was that this was my first time ever attempting to document a building, and a few of the photos aren’t quite to my liking. Glare, poor framing, etc. Considering how small my window of time was to get in more photos and that I had finals and other things to attend to, I opted not to bother. I’m sure as I gain more experience with this project and my photo skills as a whole, this entry will appear rather rudimentary. So be it. Hopefully it will serve as a testament to where I began.

* * *

Demolition Photos

I recall being under the impression that demolition was to occur over the summer. It did not, as I was on campus for marching band summer sessions June through August and the stalwart concrete tower silently watched us practice each evening. Even as the first semester began, the Drake still stood. This was the case until November 15, when I happened to be browsing The Lantern and saw this horrific sight on the front page:

(The Lantern)

Apparently demolition had already started and escaped my knowledge. That didn’t really surprise me since I’m rarely in the vicinity of west campus these days, but I made a mad dash back there with my camera after my architecture history class. What I saw changed me greatly.

(yes, I cleaned the dust off of my image sensor later)

Even as far away as Independence Hall, I could hear the clanking and creaking of heavy machinery, and I knew the worst had come to pass for the Drake. As the central tower came into view, it appeared not as the matte cement bastion it once was, rather an almost sooty shell of its old self. It looked a bit like one of those torched apartment buildings in the Bronx during the 70s/80s. As I got closer the awful cacophony of clattering masonry and buckling steel beams was almost painful to hear.

I think a part of me died that day. It’s one thing to lament the destruction of some building that happened way in the past (like the friggin Home Insurance Building was demolished almost a century before I was born), and behind the comfort of an office chair and computer screen, but it’s another to actually witness it happen in person. I couldn’t take my eyes off the guts of the Drake being exposed for all to see. I’m finding it difficult to put into words, but it’s almost as if I was watching the dream of one architect become shattered before my very eyes.

Earlier phone photo

I happened to be there when part of the south wing was weakened enough structurally to collapse. That was extremely painful to watch and listen to. The ensuing dust cloud:

Earlier phone photo

My phone photos were acceptable (I only took two at 10:00, these are noted below the images), but at this point in time I now owned a digital camera, so I got it ready for the first time and walked back an hour later. The first thing I noticed was the massive dent now in the central tower’s skull:

The south wing had a significant chunk missing and was actively being demolished along with the central tower.

The north wing was rubble.

Angled view from the bridge near Morrill:

It was just something else seeing the structure of the building exposed like this. I guarantee 99% of students went about their day with only a cursory glance at this building, it was definitely a little odd for me to be taking a bunch of pictures of it.

I walked up to the fence flanking the right wing and got a few shots through the chain link. So much rubble and destruction, yet the tower still stood mostly intact.

I then walked onto the bridge over the Olentangy River and the full extent of the destruction revealed itself to me. It was almost sublime.

I busted out my zoom lens and tried to get better shots of the standing portion of the left wing…

…as well as the stage:

This next shot didn’t come out as well as I wanted it to despite multiple tries, but I was trying to show the remains as visible through the standing doors on the extreme right side. In hindsight, I should have moved more to the right and adjusted my focus.

A view from further back on the bridge, note the progress on the new medical center since April. Compare this to my earlier shot at the same location.

The remaining wing waits its turn for the wrecking ball (or excavator, I guess):

As demolition was progressing on the central tower, it knocked the metal hatches on the roof out of position, which was visible in a few earlier photos. In this next detail shot you can see that they were hinged and had an articulated arm to allow for adjustment, which I never knew was a thing. I haven’t seen them open in any pictures. The metal flashing on the roof was also mangled.

As I was taking photos, I saw a middle-aged woman in the area taking pictures on her phone and watching the demolition. I was in a conversational mood that day, so I talked to her a little. It turned out that she was an alumna of Ohio State and wanted to visit the Drake one last time. Her experience corroborated the research I had already done, such as its program as a union during her time in college and that it had spaces such as a bowling alley. She recalled how busy it got during the summer, receiving the nickname “Drake Beach.” I’d imagine that it came from the photo of all the students gathered on the banks of the Olentangy River. After chatting a little longer about why some zoomer like me cared enough to document a building considered ugly today (the woman remarked that the architecture was considered very popular when it was built), we went our separate ways.

It’s interesting to note that the contractor who demolished the Drake (S.G. Loewendick & Sons/Loewendick Demolition Contractors, as visible on the excavators) has ripped down other landmark buildings around Columbus, such as Union Station, the Ohio Penitentiary, the Christopher Inn, and the Deshler Hotel. Historically, they also contributed to urban renewal efforts such as the razing of Flytown. Considering the current owner is a total asshole anti-preservationist (this guy’s license plates read “RAZE 1” and “RAZE 2”), I’m sure he was chomping at the bit to tear this place down. Normally I’d only label them as executioners and not responsible for demolition in the first place, but their attitude towards historic preservation inclines me to do otherwise. Stay tuned for articles about the Ohio Theatre and Central High School for a few battles that preservationists have won.

Farewell, Drake.