Duke University has scheduled a grand opening this weekend to celebrate its new alumni center on the Durham, N.C., campus.
The Karsh Alumni and Visitors Center, a 48,000-square-foot complex named for former Duke trustee Bruce A. Karsh, is the first landmark visitors will see as they enter the campus, the university says.
It has been situated to be the first stop for visitors coming to the Duke campus.
Prospective students will attend admissions information sessions and go on tours, the university says. But it also will be a place for current students and alumni.
“The center will be a front door to campus for our alumni and visitors,” says Duke President Richard H. Brodhead. “It will give us a venue where we can welcome groups and individuals, but where visitors will be able to connect with and experience Duke more deeply.”
There are clusters of couches, chairs and tables for informal meetings. There is a 3,900-square-foot events space for hosting alumni events.
It also has small conference rooms, a library with old Chanticleer yearbooks and alumni books and a market with grab-and-go snacks.
The architect is Centerbrook Architects and Planners.
Video: Time lapse video of Karsh Alumni Center construction:
