Beardshear Hall: Office Space and Architecture

Kyle Helling, Kyle Wiebers, and Anna Olson

If you were to walk around Iowa State University at any time, you would probably stop to marvel at Beardshear Hall, one of the most impressive buildings located on the campus. In this photo essay, we chose to expose the many elements that Bearshear Hall possesses: inside as well as out.
This picture of the main entrance was chosen to display the impressive size and design of Beardshear Hall. The enormous pillars that frame the doorway give a sense of importance, as well as a feel of the building's theme. The green trees on either side of the steps add a touch of color to the scene, and the light on the very top floor brings your focus to a center point, also reminding you that there were still people hard at work inside.

Exterior

The exterior of Beardshear Hall is complemented with ornate architecture. The peaks and carvings on the building give it an especially old look, and the dome on the top provides a unique beauty.

We chose this photograph to show how the landscaping around Beardshear is beautiful too. These trees hide most of the building in this shot, but they add to it's presence. The trees also give a layering effect to the picture, as the building contrasts against the bright sky and dark vegetation.

Here, we view the entrance as you would standing near the top of the steps. You can see the sharp angles and carvings in the ledges and pillars. These elements give the building a sense of time, and add a unique style to Beadshear Hall-something that is quite important for a busy building such as this.

This picture was selected to display how massive the pillars and entry way can seem as you first reach the top of the steps. The fact that you cannot see the base of the pillars adds to this effect: your imagination is left to decide the height. The clear blue sky again contrasts with the building, and creates a bright lighting (somewhat orange and gray).

Interior

This is a picture taken from the lowest level in the building, looking up through the circular hole in the second floor. The stained glass window in the ceiling is at the top of the dome: both the dome and window are distinguishing features of Beardshear Hall.

We like this picture because the three circles give a sense of how many layers there are in this building. The first circle is framed with the railing that runs along it's circumference. The second circle is made up of the outer edge of the dome, and the third is the stained glass window. These give a feeling for the building's height, and a taste of the architectural theme. This also creates a telescopic place for your vision to follow: from the lowest floor to the sky outside, each getting smaller and brighter.


This picture, taken from the second floor, also contains the circular hole on the entry level. This is one of the most interesting views you would have walking along the upper levels of Bearshear Hall. The lights are reflected on the tiled floor, and the gold on the railing. The marble pillars follow the doorways into this main opening in the middle of the building. This picture shows some of the office space in Beardshear Hall. The cluttered desk peaking out from below the circular hole shows that the building serves a useful purpose.





This picture, from the top of the second level staircase, shows much of the hall. The supports on either side of the stairs add to the somewhat Gothic style of the iron. This contrasts with the lighter pillars and floor, which provide an old, majestic feel. The underside of the staircase above gives the picture a closed-in effect, and can focus your attention to the main opening with the "hole". Because so many people use these stairs to get between floors, it is important that they are eye catching. This picture was digitally brightened after it had been chosen, so more detail could be seen. The orange color of the pillars and floor create an energizing feeling.



Here, we see an open space near some of the offices. This picture was taken without a flash, so it appears how it would naturally be seen. The bench (probably where the employees like to sit after going up those stairs on their way to work) is fairly close up, unlike the staircase on the opposite side. The lights and pillars tunnel your vision to the staircase, and show how far away the other end is as each object gets smaller in the distance.