The Council of Independent Colleges: Historic Campus Architecture Project

Bay Hall

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Bay Hall (three-quarter view), Drury University

Bay Hall (side view), Drury University

Bay Hall (plaza), Drury University

Institution Name: Drury University
Original/Historic Place Name: Walker Library
Location on Campus:
Date(s) of Construction:

1959	original construction Stahl, Richard P.

Designer: Richard P. Stahl
Type of Place: Individual building
Style: Modern/post-WWII (Glossary)
Significance: architecture
Narrative: see below
References: see below

Materials:

Foundation: concrete

Walls: brick, glass

Roof: built up tar and gravel

Function:

1959-1992	library
1992-present (2006)	administration

Narrative:
Bay Hall, originally Walker Library, was constructed in 1959. It was design by Springfield architect Richard P. Stahl. Walker Library was the second library building constructed on the campus and the fourth location of the library collection. The building is located at the southern edge of the quadrangle of Burnham Circle on the site of Springfield's original "colored school".

The influence of Frank Lloyd Wright and Alvar Aalto's architecture can be seen in Mr. Stahl's design for Walker Library. The strong horizontal lines of the balconies and wood fascia and the distinct vertical mass of the chimney with its ornamented flue cover at the entry. The building also demonstrates Mr. Stahl's skill in integrating the building and the landscape through his use of enclosing garden terraces and walls.

In 1992, with the construction of the F. W Olin Library, Walker Library was renovated into administrative offices and renamed Bay Hall. The building currently houses the Admission, Registrar, Financial Aid, and College of Graduate and Continuing Studies offices. As such, the building serves as the "front door" to the university. The building's scale, materials, landscaping and frontage onto the quadrangle of Burnham Circle gives the facility a warm and inviting feeling that reflects the humanity of Mr. Stahl's design

References:

Clippenger, Frank W. The Drury Story. Springfield, MO: Drury University, 1982.