The Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology, located at 32nd and Walnut streets, was completed in September 2024 and is slated for occupancy in January 2025.
Credit: Abhiram JuvvadiThe completion of two new buildings marked significant infrastructural developments on Penn’s campus this past year. Additional construction projects are set to break ground in 2025, with major renovations of David Rittenhouse Laboratory and 1920 Commons planned over the next several years.
Amy Gutmann Hall
Amy Gutmann Hall, Penn’s new center for data science and artificial intelligence, is set to officially open in January 2025. Located at the intersection of 34th and Chestnut streets, the six-story building will serve as a hub for research across all 12 schools. The $137 million project aims to foster interdisciplinary research and increase the accessibility of AI education to both Penn and wider Philadelphia communities.
Three floors of the building are dedicated to teaching labs, active learning classrooms, and collaboration spaces, providing a flexible environment to teach and foster innovation. The upper levels will house advanced research centers and laboratories.
Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology
The Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology, located at 32nd and Walnut streets, was completed in September 2024 and is slated for occupancy in January 2025. Consisting of seven stories, the $173 million building serves to consolidate Penn’s energy research with a focus on chemistry research and sustainability. The building’s design is intended to maximize learning potential and research productivity and aligns with sustainability goals outlined in Penn’s Climate and Sustainability Action Plan, which recently reached its fourth iteration.
David Rittenhouse Laboratory
DRL, located at 33rd and Walnut streets, will undergo a partial demolition to build a brand-new physical sciences building in the coming years. The proposed physical sciences building will house the Physics and Astronomy, Mathematics, and Earth and Environmental Sciences departments, in addition to new classrooms. The University Board of Trustees voted to allocate $11.25 million for an early phase of the renovation process at last month’s Board of Trustees meeting.
1920 Commons
1920 Commons is slated to undergo its first complete renovation since its construction in 1971, which will include a significant revamp of the building’s interior and exterior. The project is not expected to start for several years, and a specific construction date has yet to be established.
According to Penn’s Director of Communications and External Relations for Business Services Courtney Dombroski, the timeline, phases of renovation, and potential adjustments to campus paths to accommodate the construction have not yet been finalized.
College Hall
The $87.4 million College Hall renovations — which began in early 2023 — are set to be completed in January 2025. Primarily focused on the West Wing of College Hall, restoration efforts include new HVAC systems, upgraded windows and roofing, all-gender restrooms, and new elevators. Additionally, the building will now house two new Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant elevators.
In October, the University partially removed the fencing surrounding College Hall, reopening and allowing students to use the full area of the plaza in front of Houston Hall.
Fisher Fine Arts Library
A $17.8 million renovation of Fisher Fine Arts Library is scheduled to begin in spring 2025. Senior Vice President of Penn Facilities and Real Estate Services Anne Papageorge announced the project at a Facilities and Campus Planning committee meeting on Nov. 14, stating that the goal of the “envelope” restoration is to restore the 133-year-old building’s exterior to its original form. The renovation will include sandstone cleaning, window replacement, roof repairs, and the installation of lightning and fall protection.
The Quad
The first phase of a three-phase renovation to the Quad was completed in August with the renovation of Riepe College House in the Lower Quad.
The second phase of construction, which began in May of this year, focuses on the renovation of Ware College House in the central area of the Quad and is scheduled for completion by fall 2025. The final phase of renovations, for Fisher-Hassenfeld College House, is set to begin in May 2025 and end by August 2026.
Renovations will include improvements to interior finishes and bathrooms, replacement and repair of roofs and windows, elevator upgrades, chimney reconstruction, and replacement of mechanical and electrical systems, according to Penn Residential Services.
Stuart Weitzman Hall
Construction on Stuart Weitzman Hall — involving an addition to the back of the building and a full renovation of its historic structure — began this summer.
The addition aims to support art and architecture programs with new design studios, student maker spaces, faculty offices, classrooms, and exhibition spaces. Research hubs for the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, Center for the Preservation of Civil Rights Sites, and works on paper in the Penn Art Collection will also be part of the addition.
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