Brittain Dining Hall

'''Brittain Dining Hall''' is the primary dining hall of East Campus at the [[Georgia Institute of Technology]]. Dedicated in name of [[Marion L. Brittain]], it serves as the primary dining location for all [[Georgia Tech Freshman Experience|Freshman Experience]] and Area II housing residents. It is located between Techwood Drive and Williams Street, facing [[Bobby Dodd Stadium]] to its west. ==History== While it was partially funded by the state of [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], a large part of the funding for Brittain Dining Hall came from the [[Georgia Tech Athletic Association|Athletic Association]] and the Georgia Tech Expansion Fund. Opened in 1928, it was a joint effort of many of Tech's departments: {{cquote|[T]he architecture department designed the building, the ceramics department manufactured the tile for the floor of the tower, the mechanical engineering department supplied the wrought iron for the light fixtures in the main hall, and the textile department made tapestries for the walls.}} The building cost $418,000 to construct and was designed by the architects Bush-Brown & Gailey. Brittain Dining Hall was renovated in 1964, 1999, 2002, and again in summer 2007. During the [[2007 North America South and Eastern heatwave|2007 heatwave]], Brittain Dining Hall went trayless to conserve water due to [[Atlanta, Georgia]]'s severe water shortage. ==Architecture== Brittain is based around two large wings that serve as dining areas. Patrons enter from the western entrance and serve themselves via the buffet. In between the two wings there is a staircase that leads up to a lobby, which overlooks the two wings and leads to the President's Dining Room. The President's Dining Room looks out on to the western lawn of Brittain, and was originally designed for serving the Institute's president and visiting dignitaries but is now simply a dining area. The southern wing is highlighted by a large [[stained glass]] window designed by Julian Harris. The window was dedicated to Georgia Tech graduating classes of 1928-1932. The entrance is marked by a [[Georgia Institute of Technology|Georgia School of Technology]] floor seal showing the age of Brittain Hall. The back of Brittain dubbed "Brittain Rec" serves as the laundromat and meeting place for the [[Georgia Tech Freshman Experience|Freshman Experience Program]]. Brittain Rec is divided into a Buzz Card activated laundry room, BuzzBy, East Side Market, and a ballroom for events. ===Innovator dedications=== [[File:brittainhallinnovatorfaces.jpg|thumb|right]] [[File:Harrisonhowelldonquixgeorgiatech.jpg|thumb|right|Architectural features on a nearby wall]] Brittain Hall's Western Side faces Techwood Drive and Bobby Dodd Stadium. This side is the only entrance for patrons and features ten [[Doric order|Doric]] pillars emblazoned with stylized busts of ten famous scientific minds and the fields to which they contributed; these are fields that were present at Georgia Tech during Brittain's 1928 construction. [[Civil engineering]], [[mechanical engineering]], and [[aerospace engineering]] are represented by [[Leonardo DaVinci]]. [[Ceramic art|Ceramics]] is represented by [[Luca della Robbia]]. [[Textiles]] is represented by [[Eli Whitney]]. [[Electrical engineering]] is represented by [[Thomas Edison]]. [[Architecture]] and the [[fine arts]] are represented by [[Michelangelo]]. [[Physics]] is represented by [[Archimedes]]. [[Chemistry]] is represented by [[Antoine Lavoisier]]. [[Mathematics]] and [[astronomy]] are represented by [[Isaac Newton]]. [[Biology]] is represented by [[Aristotle]]. [[Ecology]] is represented by [[Charles Darwin]]. ==Public Reception== While Brittain Dining Hall caters to the nutritional needs of thousands of students weekly, it is largely regarded as the most inferior eatery on campus. Despite the generally cordial staff, an overwhelming lack of variety contributes to this perception. Students will often seek dining alternatives such as Buzzby, the Student Center food court, and other various dining locations on and off campus. ==External links== *[http://gtalumni.org/campusmap/bldngmodel.php?id=12 Campus Map: Brittain Dining Hall] {{coord missing|Georgia (U.S. state)}} {{Georgia Tech Navbox}}