Effort keeps historical look of the dome at OSU’s Memorial Union

By MARY ANN ALBRIGHT
Gazette-Times reporter

It’s not easy finding 1920s-style building supplies. When it came time to replace the Memorial Union dome at Oregon State University, project managers realized only three companies in the United States and Canada make terra cotta tiles identical to the originals.

Plans to replace the MU roof and dome formed in the fall 2004. Construction began last summer, and the final touches on the new dome should be in place by the end of next week.

Getting the 1,173 tiles and configuring them in 16 rows identical to those on the original structure took time, as did waterproofing the dome and reinforcing the skylights, but the results should be well worth the wait.

“We’ve gone to great pains to ensure that the dome maintains the building’s historical integrity,” said Mike Blair, project manager.

Construction on the MU began in 1927, and finished the following year. The roof has been replaced several times since — most recently about 20 years ago — but the original dome remained until now.

The overall roof replacement project cost about $1.2 million; the dome accounted for about $305,000 of the total tab. The construction was paid for by Oregon University System and MU capital funds.

For many years, leaks and cracks have plagued the roof and dome, resulting in costly repairs.

“We decided that we’d rather replace it than continue to spend $6,000 to $10,000 a year on repairs,” said Sid Cooper, MU assistant manager of building services.

The new dome is expected to last another 77 years at least.

Some members of the campus and Corvallis communities initially expressed concerns over losing the old dome, but a Web cam showing construction progress helped allay those fears. Cooper and his colleagues made sure people understood their commitment to historical preservation; they are replicating, not changing, the campus landmark.

“If you took a picture of the dome two years ago and took one now, I don’t think you’d be able to tell the difference,” said Aaron Jensen, head mason for the project.

At a glance

Oregon State University offers live Web cam photos of the Memorial Union roof construction at http://webcam.oregonstate.edu/mudome.

Mary Ann Albright covers higher education. She can be reached at maryann.albright@lee.net or 758-9518.