SP2 unveils new Locust Walk entrance

For over 50 years, the entrance to the School of Social Policy and Practice was hidden to the larger community, facing north into an obscure quadrangle.

In a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday afternoon, the School of Social Policy and Practice opened its new Locust Walk entrance to the rest of the campus community.

“We are one of the smallest schools at Penn, and for 50 years we were also physically invisible,” said SP2 Dean Richard Gelles. “The entrance itself had, according to a consultant to the school, ‘all the charm of a loading dock.’ It is, after all, just a door, but for our 100-year-old school, it is meaningful.”

Over 200 guests attended the ribbon-cutting, including Penn President Amy Gutmann, eight vice presidents and the school’s Board of Overseers, as well as a number of students, faculty and staff.

The ceremony also included a dedication of renovations in the Caster Building’s lobby, including the new Centennial Wall.

The Caster Building renovations include new landscaping, a wheelchair-accessible ramp, the centennial wall and a remodeled lobby.

In the lobby, restrooms were reconfigured in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act standards, as well as disability access on the first floor.

The Centennial Wall in the lobby displays mosaic tiles, meant to be an impression of the original SP2 building, according to a statement. Karen Singer was commissioned to create the art piece that serves as a way to honor alumni and donors.

The wall also commemorates the school’s 100-year commitment to promoting social change at Penn.

“This renovation gives the School of Social Policy and Practice more prominence, and it does that with a modest but meaningful transformation,” said University architect David Hollenberg. “It also really gives us a testimony of the vitality of Locust Walk,” he added.

According to Hollenberg, the project was initiated at the school level and was brought to the attention of Facilities and Real Estate Services. “The new renovations respect the original 1968 design, as well as updating the design to modern aesthetics,” said Hollenberg.

“It was a very simple project,” said Brenda Loewen, Facilities and Real Estate Services Design and Construction project manager, adding that the result will be “high impact.”

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