The problem with the Law School is that it only looks good from one angle — the front.

The most glaring failure of Wash U’s attempt to perserve a consistent “look” of campus is with the new Siegle hall. THAT looks just plopped down. They could have found a way for it to integrate better with the Law School building, or for it not to look like such a monstrosity. It is SO out of scale with its surroundings. Siegle is especially awkward, because although it is actually in the shape of an “L”… it is so monstrous that if you are looking at it from the front or left (south) side, it looks like it could potentially be a gigantic square. The primary line of sight that passers-by see are the front and the 90 degree corner on the left side… it gives the perception that it’s just a gigantic square. If the building was shorter or had more visual interest, it would have sill been able to maintain the basic “L” shape.

The Quadrangle system means that there are series of interlocking and correlated buildings, that interconnect to form open spaces. This means that some of the buildings need to be appropriately designed to be gateways or have arcades, to provide passages and views from one quadrangle and pathway to another. With Siegle Hall, arguably the most prominently un-developed site on campus (save the engineering parking lot), the University had an opportunity to truly create a pure quadrangle system. Instead, it just looks like a random building designed for ITSELF, not in relation to anything next to it.

The entire rear of campus (if you’re standing at Olin Library and looking toward Siegle Hall across mudd field) has such a terrible sense of skewed perspective. The buildings get gradually larger and larger and taller and taller as you look out into the distance. What’s worse, is that there are no trees or landscaping to diminish this hideous effect. There used to be trees on either side of the walkway along Simon Hall and the DUC. They were taken down for new construction of the DUC, and unfortunately nothing has been planted. It’s just this blank open space with individual buildings bordering it that have no spatial relationship to one another. And the Knight Center (possibly the second worse offender behind Siegle Hall) has these random tall singleton trees, which as SO confusing! what is their point? those trees aren’t found anywhere else in the nearby area on campus…. at the very least, at least continue the line of those trees down that pathway all the way to LabSci. I’m glad that Mudd Field is nice open intra-mural athletic space, but it really needs to have some sort of landscaping on the Fraternity Side and the Business School side (called “boys walk” I believe). Wash U spends so much money on making campus look pretty with the landscaping… and while that is nice and important… they should really try to make sure that the landscaping makes sense in relationship to the pathways and lines of sight.