Huntsman Hall unveiled a new lounge near the building’s Locust Walk entrance in late September after four months of construction.
The new lounge expands the entryway to Wharton’s central academic building and features couches, chairs, and small tables. The area, intended to make the entrance more welcoming, gives students a new study spot in addition to Huntsman’s group study rooms and spaces.
A Wharton Operations spokesperson wrote to The Daily Pennsylvanian that the renovation project came in response to a “recent feasibility study on building usage” that showed the Locust Walk entrance to the building lacked “desired warmth and accessibility."
“Wharton sought to create a more welcoming entrance to Huntsman Hall that better engages visitors,” the spokesperson wrote. “The original layout of the recently renovated space disrupted user flow, with the storefront glazing system creating a bottleneck at the entrance. Additionally, the lighting levels, hindered by the existing partitions, failed to draw people into the building.”
Construction on the lounge took place from early June to late September. The time frame was chosen to minimize disruption to the building’s users, according to Wharton Operations.
Students have reacted positively to the new lounge and its effect on their experience in Huntsman.
“[The lounge is] very aesthetic, a great place to study, and very versatile,” Wharton first-year Iian Chen said. “This is very nice especially because it’s very close to the rest of your classes, but it’s not something you have to book like a GSR.”
Wharton junior Fore Abinusawa noted that, while she has not yet used the lounge, the opening of the area has improved her experience at Huntsman Hall during passing times between classes.
“I think something that's nice about [the lounge] is, with the undergrads and the MBAs, it gets very congested during class times and when people are trying to get to class. I think it's helped to not just open the area, but also ease the flow of traffic a little bit,” Abinusawa said. “Especially by the entrance to Locust [Walk], there's less of a build up, and you're not bumping into people trying to leave or go to Prêt or anything like that. So I think it's been really helpful.”
The cost for recent renovations on the building — including new group study rooms and the lounge — totaled $550,000, not including carpets or furniture. The Wharton Operations spokesperson did not provide the specific budget allocated to the lounge.
Nine new GSRs in Huntsman Hall opened to student use in late September. Previously, the most recent significant changes to the building took place in 2016 following two years of renovations.
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