Union College Nott Memorial

Restoration and structural rehabilitation of the historic 16-sided stone-masonry domed rotunda building, originally built over the course of 20 years, and completed in 1879. The highly complex restoration work included extensive repairs or replacement to all major exterior elements of the historic 4-story building. Capitalizing on Nott’s central location and status as a campus icon, Union College programmed the refurbished building for a variety of uses as a student center including a reading room, a 460-seat lecture hall, gallery and exhibit spaces, to encourage foot traffic.

Project Specifications

• 18,000 SF; 110-foot high by 89-foot wide
• 14-month schedule
• Designed in the high Victorian Gothic style
• Only 16-sided structure in the United States
• Bluestone and sandstone cladding, transported from quarries in Ohio & Schenectady
• Replacement of 288 stained-glass windows and restoration of the Nott’s variegated slate-covered dome roof
• The unique Mandeville Gallery, located on the 2nd floor, is open to the floors above and below, and is composed of two semi-circular areas of viewing
• Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972; declared a National Historic Landmark in 1986