herr2ck: Chemistry Building #5

September 2025.

Celeste Laboratory is an odd Postmodern box, connected to McPherson and Evans Lab with arteries as if it’s feeding off the other two. It was built on the site of McPherson Lab’s later “sawtooth” additions as a new chemistry building. (If you’re counting, this is OSU’s fifth.) Celeste Lab is located on north campus, bordered by 19th Avenue and Fontana Lab to the north and 18th Avenue to the south, and it is connected to Evans Lab to the east and McPherson Lab to the west.

History

Celeste Lab in 1987. I think those light poles need to make a comeback. (Buckeye Stroll)

Although Celeste Lab was built after John Herrick’s death, the archives still have information about its construction. It was designed around 1983-1984 by Dublin firm Kellam & Associates, Inc., and the general contractor was Massaro Corporation. Its groundbreaking occurred on May 14, 1984, and its dedication was October 3, 1986. The framing system is mentioned in greater detail: a steel frame with caissons to bedrock and concrete floor plates. The exterior is supposed to blend in with surrounding buildings, but aside from the brick cladding the fenestration and massing is much different. The building cost $15 million.

Celeste Lab was built to replace and occupies the site of McPherson Lab's aging "sawtooth" wing, which was built as a temporary building for the chemistry department in the 1920s and had lasted basically unchanged through the 1970s. Stay tuned for a post about McPherson, which goes into more detail.

Students working inside Celeste Lab, undated. (Buckeye Stroll)

Celeste Lab was built with 12 general chemistry labs, six organic chemistry labs, classrooms, offices, and laser research in the basement. It also has a special waste disposal area and a better ventilation system.

A Department of Chemistry webpage mentions that Celeste Lab needed to be modernized, and in classic university fashion also asks for donations. Their explanation is written with quite the sense of urgency: “We urgently need a comprehensive renovation of Celeste Laboratory. We cannot advance research, and educate the next generation of scientists, without it. [sic]” This renovation did occur in 2022, designed by Flad Architects (design) and BHDP (record). The new interior seems a lot colder and more modern. I think the actual design makes sense, and you can read more of their write-ups on each website.

Celeste Lab was named in 1995 after Richard F. Celeste. He was an Ohio politician who started as a Democratic representative in the House, serving two terms before becoming lieutenant governor. Jimmy Carter appointed Celeste as director of the Peace Corps, and he then became Ohio’s governor from 1982-1991. Finally, Bill Clinton appointed him as Ambassador to India from 1997 until 2001.

Photos

The massive trees out front made it difficult to view the south side straight-on. This view is looking from Newman and Wolfrom Lab:

Another view from closer to McPherson, though the trees again made me have to get really close:

Ohio Historical Marker out front:

I really like how the piers take a 45 degree angle towards the center of the building, it’s a unique move and adds a richness to the fenestration:

They continue a bit above the roof:

The main entrance:

Note the expansion joints, which have been pointed with a brighter pink mortar. I also noticed these three bricks that have similarly odd coloring:

The west facade and connection to McPherson:

The north facade is much simpler and lacks the long ribbon windows of the other three sides.

East facade and connection to Evans Lab:

The inside was relatively uninteresting, and there was little for me to explore. The recent renovation work is evident in the finishes:

The main floors were labs arranged around a central module that had study space. Naturally, these were filled with people, so there wasn’t much I could really photograph either without bothering people trying to study. The only other picture I got was these built-in benches: