| The Barn as we know it today, has its origins as a horse stable which was part of a larger complex of agricultural structures at the California Citrus Experiment Station; the citrus station would ultimately become UC Riverside. The Barn, originally constructed in 1917, was transformed into a student dining and social hall in the 1950s. Over the course of time from the 1950s until its temporary closure in 2018 The Barn hosted concerts and other social events reflective of the evolution of campus social life. The Barn hosted many of the University’s great memories over the first several chapters of its history.
The regeneration of The Barn complex involves the near complete re-construction of the original main Barn building and the arrangement of four additional structures on the site that create several outdoor spaces used for dining, concerts, and other events. Landscape and hardscape are designed to define these spaces and give them each a unique character.
The objective was to maintain the historic character of The Barn while transforming it into a fully modernized facility. The original 1917 Barn roof framing trusses were preserved and remain a defining feature in the restored dining room. A new commercial kitchen was added as an expansion to The Barn Dining building; it supports the Barn Dining room and the dining room in the adjacent Faculty Staff Dining Building. Maintaining the scale and hierarchy of importance were significant challenges in joining a new commercial kitchen facility to the existing barn structure. Great care was taken to facilitate the necessary infrastructure within a building mass that is deferential to the original scale.
Additional new buildings added to the complex include the Faculty/Staff Dining, The Barn Theater, and The Barn Walk Ticket Tower. The Faculty/Staff Dining serves as the western boundary and creates indoor dining space for faculty and staff and facilitates the outdoor stage for the central courtyard performance venue. The Faculty/Staff Dining Building has its own unique detailing and materials that complement the whole. The Barn Theater forms the north side of the complex and facilitates performing arts groups in its studio space. Large barn doors are opened to create a seamless indoor-outdoor space from the studio. The Ticket Tower marks the east side boundary and serves as a beacon on the linear Barn Walk campus mall. Built with a lantern element on top of the ticket office, the Ticket Tower is a beacon both day and night. The whole complex is enclosed by fencing and landscaping that is purposefully designed to define the boundary of the site while adding porosity to the greater campus. Large gates are normally open, which allows for the free flow of pedestrians to and through the site.
The Barn is re-imagined and re-born as an integral part of the social life of UCR and as a cohesive element in itself and within the campus. This new and refreshed Barn will be host to many more great memories for UC Riverside. |
