John W. Murchison Hall
Dedicated in June 1952, Murchison Hall was the second building to be finished on Trinity’s campus using lift-slab construction. The two-story dormitory helped articulate O’Neil Ford’s design philosophy of careful integration into the landscape, unobstructed views, exposed materiality, and exterior construction corridors. Originally designed to house men, it was a women’s hall until Susanna and Myrtle Halls were completed.
George M. Storch Memorial Building
Originally the George M. Storch Library, Storch was dedicated in June 1952. Constructed using the lift-slab method, it boasts an unimpeded view of the San Antonio skyline through a two-story-high wall of windows. In the 1950s, Trinity prioritized active growth of the library collection, so O’Neil Ford designed interior partition walls that were movable depending on the needs of the space and expansion of the collection.
Murchison Tower
One of the most notable structures O’Neil Ford designed for Trinity is a campanile—a substitution for a traditional church steeple—called the T. Frank Murchison Tower. The nine-story tower dedicated in 1964 remains the architectural and symbolic focal point of the campus. The sparse detailing follows the modern tradition, while the technology evokes a premodern tradition of craftsmanship inspired by the Romans.
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TRINITY Fall 2018
Coates Student Center
Originally the Student Union Building, the Coates Student Center was designed as a modernist structure that used the lift-slab method and featured windows and terraces designed to survey sweeping views of downtown. It was not completed until several months after campus opened, so students were bussed to a restaurant for meals. Trinity eventually opened the unfinished dining facilities, even as the noise of construction continued. The building underwent reconstruction in the 1970s to accommodate the growing student population.