Laurentian opens doors to Welcome Centre: University's renovated main entrance caps off $65 million in major construction.

• Author: McKinley, Karen
• Position: DESIGN-BUILD

The final piece of years of modernization at Laurentian University was unveiled and celebrated as a new era in serving all those who entered the institution's halls.

The new Welcome Centre and atrium was officially opened Sept. 21 to much fanfare from students, faculty, staff and donors, as well as the architects who designed the new space and many others in the post-secondary school.

The Welcome Centre, which connects the Great Hall and Student Services Building to the R.D. Parker Building, gives the university a genuine main entrance and gathering place for faculty, students and visitors, as well as a one-stop location for many services, including the registrar's office, the Great Hall main dining area, the bookstore, the Indigenous Sharing and Learning Centre, as well as study rooms, lounges and open areas for people to gather.

Pierre Zundel, Laurentian University's interim president and vice-chancellor, said the new centre is a very welcome edition and a stark contrast to what used to be in the space, an open breezeway made of brick and pavement separating the two buildings, topped with an overhead floor where the student centre and offices used to be.

"For anyone who has been on campus and seen the previous installation between these two buildings, it was not a welcoming place," he said. "It was dark, cold and dirty. This is now the Welcome Centre and it is well-named. It's an open, friendly place for people come in and to use."

Gary McCluskie, principal at Diamond Schmitt Architects, said it was a thrilling day to see the project reach completion and join those witnessing the space being transformed into a place to gather and enjoy.

"Just seeing all the students using it, as a space, group study space, a meeting point. All of those aspects are the next generation of student life is working. Very, very rewarding to see that," he said.

He explained the Welcome Centre was the first place they looked at when the renovation project officially got underway. Of all the individual spaces they renovated, it was right at the front door. He was impressed by the university's leadership for identifying it as a priority due to the impact it could have.

"It made our job a lot easier because we could see the huge impact transforming this atrium space," McCluskie said.

"Specifically, this was outdoors, a breezeway connecting two sides of the campus. Students had to run outside from the Parker side to the Student Services side."

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