Hamilton Architecture
Hamilton has beauty combined with a spatial distinctiveness that is perfect for a small college. Architecture and mood relate to each other, and Hamilton can be said to express multiple moods through multiple distinct architectural styles:
The north side, constituting two nineteenth century quadrangles, with periferal historic residence halls, in traditional collegiate architecture; the south side, which was an entire college, Kirkland, at one time, and which was designed in brutalist architecture – an authentic, in the sense that it was unapologetically non-derivative, 1960’s style; a creative, but rustic series of buildings connecting and integrating the north and south sides; and a group of buildings also near the center of campus for theatre, studio arts and art history, which, when combined with an art museum, essentially constitute an arts neighborhood.
The fairly noticeable boundaries between these areas eliminate the aesthetic problem of mixed architectural styles among adjacent buildings, common on many campuses that have been built over decades or centuries. But more interestingly and meaningfully, the boundaries provide something: a great solution to what otherwise could be small college claustrophobia – a way to change the feel of where you are by simply walking a few hundred feet. And in every manifestation of Hamilton’s architecture, natural light, in other words the sun, is emphasized.