In response to the recent controversy surrounding the Memorial Union Reinvestment project, members of the project committee announced changes to the facility will increase efficiency and functionality while retaining the building's historical charm.
The bulk of the controversy surrounds the proposed 3,200 square foot addition to the Union Theater lobby that overlooks Lake Mendota.
""Modernizing the building creates an opportunity for us to preserve and restore areas that have fallen by the wayside,"" MUR member Brigid Hogan said. ""I think that the theatre lounge, which we have consulted with the Historical Society on, creates new ways to preserve that experience year-round.""
According to Wisconsin Union President Katie Fischer, the addition will better accommodate the thousands of patrons who visit the theater each year. The current lobby can only hold a fraction of the theater's 1,300-person capacity.
Critics, who have founded the website savetheterrace.org, say the proposed ""glass box"" will cast irritating shadows over the terrace and impede the view of the sunset from the east side of the building.
But MUR student project manager Colin Plunkett said studies indicate shadows will be minimal and people at the terrace will have an unobstructed view of the sunset and picnic point.
Opponents of the project also fear theatergoers will overrun the space—intended to double as a student lounge—during the approximate 100 yearly performances, rendering it unusable for people trying to study.
Fischer said MUR intended for the area to serve several groups: Theatergoers attending a show as well as students wishing to gather for entertainment, schoolwork, relaxation or sleep.
""If [students] want to sit there and have a party, [they] might have a party,"" Fischer said. ""It's whatever the students choose to do with that space.""
According to Plunkett, the addition will also eliminate the stairs that lead to the theater entrance and even out numerous other staircases connecting the theater with the southwest corner of the Union where a bus stop is located.
These changes will help the building meet the conditions of the Americans with Disabilities Act and make the building more accessible to handicapped guests.
The MUR project will also update an inefficient heating ventilation and cooling system, parts of which are 73 years old.
Additionally, Hogan said the project will merge the three small Play Circle stages into one large, more usable stage.
She said the theater will also include seats that fold into the wall, allowing the space to transform into a comedy club with tables and other varied setups.
