UT's tower restoration set to begin this fall
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The tower lights up orange to celebrate athletic victories, academic achievements and other events. Photo: John Albright/Icon SMI/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The University of Texas' multiyear, $70 million renovation of its iconic tower will begin this fall.
Why it matters: Many floors of the historic building have sat empty for years, and university officials say the renovation will be the first "meaningful investment" in the tower since its completion in 1937.
Driving the news: Exterior restoration will begin first, with updates to the stone, windows, lighting, clockface and historic gilding on the facade of the building.
- Metal and wood surfaces will be repainted in their original color, exterior lighting will be updated to an LED-based system, windows will be refurbished, and workers will reapply gilding to the tower clock and cast-iron spandrels.
- New York City-based architectural firm Robert A.M. Stern Architects will lead the design and restoration.
What they're saying: The UT System Board of Regents approved a $70 million budget in August to begin the project, and board chair Kevin Eltife called the restoration "one of the board's top priorities."
- "We want every UT student, faculty and staff member, and alum to have a sense of pride as they walk across the Forty Acres, and especially when they see the tower restored to its former glory," Eltife said in a statement.
- The exterior updates are expected to last through 2027, and the building will remain in operation during construction.
Flashback: The tower's observation deck was the site of the 1966 shooting in which Charles Whitman killed 14 people and injured 31 others on campus.
- The observation deck closed to the public in 1975 after a series of suicides, but it reopened for escorted tours in 1999 after the university installed stainless-steel latticework.
- The new project will revise fall protection systems and renovate the observation deck.
Friction point: Students often celebrate graduation and other milestones with photos in front of the tower, but the project calls for scaffolding on various facades into 2027.
- The scaffolding will cover the tower and south facade of the main building (floors nine and below) after UT's 2025 commencement.
- Students expected to graduate in 2026 and 2027 should make plans to capture their tower photos before the scaffolding and scrim cover the building.
The tower also lights up orange to celebrate athletic victories, academic achievements and other events, but the restoration will affect its special lighting.
- The restoration team is expected to find an alternative way to light the tower throughout construction to continue to celebrate the milestones.
What's next: Following exterior construction, the university is expected to update key interior spaces like the ground floor, 27th floor and observation deck.