University of Wisconsin-Madison officials are planning to renovate one of the university’s oldest and most historic buildings in 2027. Science Hall — built in 1887 — will undergo a renovation to upgrade its interior and add a rear common space.
More than $160 million from the 2025-2027 state budget has been approved for “critical” renovations to Science Hall, which will “restore the building’s historic character while improving accessibility, addressing deferred maintenance issues and adding an atrium.”
Renovations include an addition to the back of the building in the form of a study or lounge space, a brick pathway on the rear side of the building, roof replacement and potential additions for storm windows and a green roof.
Insite Consulting Architects, an architecture firm based in Madison and Washington D.C. that specializes in historic buildings, and Chicago-based Canon Design will lead the rehabilitation of the building. The project aims to preserve the historical significance of the building.
Science Hall currently houses campus’s oldest university lecture hall still in use, as well as the Geography Department, the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and the state cartographer’s office.
Isabella Lubotski, a master’s student in the Nelson Institute, has mixed feelings about the proposed renovations.
“Half of the building does not have AC and the elevator is broken,” Lubotski told The Daily Cardinal. She said while improvements are needed, she is unsure how the modern style will look alongside the historic architecture.
Ald. MGR Govindarajan, whose district covers the UW-Madison campus and who graduated from the university in 2023, is glad another study space is planned for the building. “It is exactly what we needed,” he said. “Students want more study spaces [with] more vending machines and microwaves.”
However, Govindarajan is not a fan of the proposed look. “I would appreciate [it] if it kept to the historical vibe,” he said.
Study spaces have become increasingly important after campus leaders instructed UW-Madison administrative units to reduce their budgets by 7%. As a result, UW-Madison libraries announced in August their plan to close two smaller libraries, reduce support and services at the Business Library and reduce weekend hours at College, Memorial and Steenbock libraries.
“The university is having to make tough decisions and students are the ones bearing the brunt of it,” Govindarajan said.
A request for bids from contractors for construction on Science Hall is scheduled for release in September 2026. Construction is planned for February 2027, and substantial completion of the project is expected in February 2029.
