Scott Laboratory is an interesting Contemporary building, notable for its large glass skybridge. I think it pulls off the industrial aesthetic excellently inside, and the exterior is cool too.
Scott Lab is located on the north engineering campus. It is bordered by 19th Avenue and the Physics Research Building to the north, 18th Avenue and the 18th Avenue Library complex to the south, Smith Lab to the east, and Caldwell Lab and the Journalism Building to the west. Prior to the construction of Scott Lab, the site was occupied by Robinson Lab and the Communications Lab.
Robinson Lab History
Robinson Lab’s original appearance. (CML)
Robinson Lab was designed in 1907 by university architect Joseph N. Bradford. It was originally a pretty simple Neoclassical design with a denticulated cornice and clay tile roof, framed in wood and concrete and clad in brick. Its construction began in April of that year, D. W. McGrath being the general contractor, and the building opened in February 1908 at a cost of $75,000. The Columbus Library claims this was the first college building to employ a sawtooth roof.
University architect Howard Dwight Smith designed an addition to the south end of the building in 1924, which was wholly framed in concrete. Its construction took place between June 1924 and April 1925.
Mid-century appearance of Robinson Lab prior to 1962. (Historic Campus Map)
Robinson Lab was first renovated in 1947. I believe this was when the Stripped Classical entrance above was added, as that was a popular style of the time. The original double-hung windows seemed to have been replaced then, too. More renovations occurred during 1960 and 1962, the latter of which covered the brick exterior in a spray-on cement veneer.
The only recent picture of Robinson Lab I could find. (Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering)
By the end of its life, Robinson Lab was perceived as outdated and inadequate for the department’s demands. A mechanical engineering professor stated that it was run-down, had dated equipment, and was too small for current classroom space needs. Additionally, deferred maintenance had caught up, and there was apparently animal infiltration. It was demolished in 2004 for the construction of Scott Lab’s eastern wing.
Robinson Lab was named after Stillman Robinson (1838-1910) in 1911. Robinson studied at Xichigan and invented several machines, such as specialized shoe manufacturing machines and a double eyepiece for telescopes. He became a faculty member in the mechanical engineering and physics department in 1878, and he was the first department chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering when it was established in 1881. Outside of the university, Robinson was Ohio’s inspector of railroads and bridges. Robinson earned an honorary doctorate after his retirement, and he died in 1910.
Communications Lab/Aeronautical Lab History
Joseph N. Bradford’s original drawings of the Aeronautical Lab. (Historic Campus Map)
In 1917, the Board of Trustees requested that a classroom building for the School of Military Aeronautics be constructed. It was designed in a simple industrial style by university architect Joseph N. Bradford, and its construction began in October 1917. The building was used for classes beginning in March 1918. It had many alternative names, but it seemed to be built as the “Aeronautical Lab” and was known as the “Communications Lab” at the time of its demolition, so those are the names I’ll use.
In 1938, Howard Dwight Smith designed an addition to the northeast corner of the building. Its construction took place between May and September of that year.
Historic photo of the building, taken by F. H. Haskett. (Historic Campus Map)
Though the building was designed as a laboratory, it was used as a mess hall for Student Army Training Corps members (which was basically ROTC but students entered as enlisted men and not officers). After World War I, Ohio State’s radio station (then WEAO) used the north end and began broadcasting in 1922. Smith’s addition was intended to expand their equipment space. The broadcasting towers were located northwest of the Communications Lab, where Hitchcock Hall stands today. Based on the many alternative names, it seems like the lab space was used by several different departments for various functions, such as Agricultural Engineering, “Electron Devices,” and Communications.
In 1990, the Board of Trustees voted to demolish the Communications Lab. The process was completed in 1992, and the area sat empty until the construction of the western wing of Scott Lab on the site.
Scott Lab History
Scott Lab’s western wing under construction c. 2004. (Knowlton Archives)
Scott Lab was designed in the Contemporary style. My sources differ on the architect, but the design architect was either Polshek Partners or Ennead Architects, and the architect of record was BHDP. Ground was broken in October 2003, and the building was completed in 2006. It houses a wide variety of spaces, such as laboratories (the west wing), lecture halls and offices (the east wing), and even a student activity area. At 130,000 assignable square feet, it is a very large building.
Scott Laboratory was named after Peter and Clara Scott, who donated $5.8 million for the building’s construction.
Photos
I did my photos kinda backwards, so I’ll do my best to organize them. I’ll start on the southeast corner:
The funky sheet-metal and glass prism:
This area of the building has a very Modernist character.
Boxy massing, small ribbon windows, piloti, and the unusual alignment of the CMU portions are all characteristics of Modern architecture. The northeast entrance continues this trend:
It’s even got the classic dematerialized metal awning over the doors.
Sign detail:
Though that same alignment of the CMU is present here on the north facade, the corrugated metal is a more contemporary move.
Transition moment between the east and west wing:
The other half of the north facade is just plain brick.
The west facade is also simple, with a wide strip of windows running along each floor:
Bay window:
One of the workshops had its garage door open, so I could see all the machinery inside from the street.
The southwestern end is similar to the northern--another blank brick wall:
What we’ve all been waiting for…the south facade and green space:
This is definitely the most compelling part of the building. It might be a little gray, but the brick sections are rather bland. It’s very contemporary and glassy.
Skybridge detail:
It’s more see-through on the other side, since the south side has film to protect against the sun.
East side’s odd massing:
Another look:
There’s another little void under the skybridge, too.
It’s supported by concrete columns which have an ellipsoidal shape:
I really like this view of the north side:
The west side continues the sheet metal, but it’s more glassy overall:
I started with my phone inside, but eventually transitioned to my camera. The northeast atrium and its stairs:
Very glassy and dematerialized.
The locked section that requires swipe access:
I happened to run into a friend while there and he let me in. I always like how much natural light is present in contemporary buildings:
The stairs have a clerestory, too:
A lot of the east side is offices like this, but I had a physics recitation in one of the rooms too.
Looking at the skybridge from the north side:
I transitioned to my camera on the west side due to its more industrial aesthetic. The east is more conventionally finished, as seen above, but the west seems to have more of the labs and such.
Lots of exposed systems and structure. The New Brutalists would be happy.
It’s interesting to me how the walkways stop short of the curtain walls. It leaves voids to look through, and the stairs between the floors use that space.
Zoomed in:
Another view from the opposite side:
Looking through the trusses:
Beyond the open wall that provides natural light, the hallways also have the pipes and cable trays above exposed.
The north end:
The rest of the east side is less interesting, though it is still well-lit.
A little less glassy, but the natural light is still there:
South side’s various intersecting metal and glass pieces:
The skybridge has lots of interesting moments. Looking from the west side:
The ramp rising up versus the flat floor on the right:
The windows have an interesting three-dimensional effect, too.
Ramp:
The north side has a cool view of the rest of the building:
The south side has some sort of film that undoubtedly reduces the sun’s impact:
The first floor is pretty similar to the rest. The one interesting part is these aircraft engines visible from 18th Avenue:
The basement has more labs and is similar to the floors above:
I wonder what the purpose of these large vents are.
I think the eastern part of the basement is the most interesting. I like the pillars, sloped ceiling, and clerestories:
Not sure how I feel about these MDF panels, but it’s a pretty standard contemporary move.
It might look a little funky from the outside, but the end result from here is cool. Form follows function?
Really long post, but I was trying to work on more compositionally-focused photos instead of simply documenting things like in the past. This resulted in some better interior photos in my upcoming posts, so stay tuned.
Sources:
https://kb.osu.edu/handle/1811/24059
https://knowltondl.osu.edu/Browse/objects/facet/collection_facet/id/18
https://maps.osu.edu/historic/
https://www.thelantern.com/2002/07/out-with-old-in-with-new/
https://www.thelantern.com/2003/10/ohio-state-engineering-new-laboratory-for-department/
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