The
Kessler Campanile is an 80-foot tall
campanileCampanile is an Italian word meaning "bell tower" . The term applies to bell towers which are either part of a larger building or free-standing, although in American English, the latter meaning has become prevalent.The most famous campanile is probably the Leaning Tower of Pisa...
located at the
Georgia Institute of TechnologyThe Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly called Georgia Tech, Tech, and GT, is a public, coeducational research university in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States...
. Designed by artist Richard Hill, it was originally constructed for the 1996 Olympic Games. It is named after Richard Kessler, Tech graduate and former head of
Days InnDays Inn is a hotel chain headquartered in the United States. Founded in 1970, it is now a part of the Wyndham Hotel Group, based in Parsippany, New Jersey, which was formerly a part of Cendant...
s. It is frequently referred to as "The Campanile" or "The Shaft" (a sometimes
tongue-in-cheekTongue-in-cheek is a term used to refer to humor in which a statement, or an entire fictional work, is not meant to be taken seriously, but its sarcasm is subtle...
reference to student opinion on the school's pedagogical methodology).
The Kessler Campanile is located near the center of Georgia Tech's campus, in front of its student center and directly down Skiles Walkway from the recently-styled "
Hill DistrictThe Historic District of the Georgia Institute of Technology, also known as the Old Campus of Georgia Tech or the Hill District, is significant in the areas of architecture, education, engineering and science, as well as landscape architecture. The area is a Registered Historic Place and part of...
," the campus' historical center.
The
Kessler Campanile is an 80-foot tall
campanileCampanile is an Italian word meaning "bell tower" . The term applies to bell towers which are either part of a larger building or free-standing, although in American English, the latter meaning has become prevalent.The most famous campanile is probably the Leaning Tower of Pisa...
located at the
Georgia Institute of TechnologyThe Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly called Georgia Tech, Tech, and GT, is a public, coeducational research university in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States...
. Designed by artist Richard Hill, it was originally constructed for the 1996 Olympic Games. It is named after Richard Kessler, Tech graduate and former head of
Days InnDays Inn is a hotel chain headquartered in the United States. Founded in 1970, it is now a part of the Wyndham Hotel Group, based in Parsippany, New Jersey, which was formerly a part of Cendant...
s. It is frequently referred to as "The Campanile" or "The Shaft" (a sometimes
tongue-in-cheekTongue-in-cheek is a term used to refer to humor in which a statement, or an entire fictional work, is not meant to be taken seriously, but its sarcasm is subtle...
reference to student opinion on the school's pedagogical methodology).
Location
The Kessler Campanile is located near the center of Georgia Tech's campus, in front of its student center and directly down Skiles Walkway from the recently-styled "
Hill DistrictThe Historic District of the Georgia Institute of Technology, also known as the Old Campus of Georgia Tech or the Hill District, is significant in the areas of architecture, education, engineering and science, as well as landscape architecture. The area is a Registered Historic Place and part of...
," the campus' historical center. The campanile is surrounded by a 300-seat amphitheater, a gathering place for the Georgia Tech community. It is visible from many areas of central campus.
Design
The eighty foot tall campanile has the rough appearance of a twisted
obeliskAn obelisk is a tall, narrow, four-sided, tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top...
, tapering towards the top and capped with a pyramidal piece. It is constructed of 244 stainless steel plates, with each rotated slightly to produce the swirling pattern as height increases. The distinctive peaks intentionally recall the design of
Tech TowerThe Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans Administration Building, commonly known as Tech Tower, is a historic building located at 225 North Avenue NW in Midtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and a focal point of the central campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology...
, the school's traditional symbol and oldest building. Following its completion, the structure's peak design was incorporated into the university's branding as a new symbol for the school.
Music
The campanile is able to play several songs, including
Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech"I'm a Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech" is the fight song of the Georgia Institute of Technology, better known as Georgia Tech. The composition is based on "Son of a Gambolier", composed by Charles Ives 1895, and whose lyrics are based on an old English and Scottish drinking song of the same name....
, the university's fight song through specially designed speakers that reproduce the
carillonA carillon is a musical instrument that is usually housed in a free-standing bell tower, or the belfry of a church or other municipal building. The instrument consists of at least 23 cast bronze cup-shaped bells, which are played serially to play a melody, or sounded together to play a chord...
"chime" sound of bells. After its erection the campanile regularly played music, but it was later silenced in response to student feedback. It currently plays the
Westminster Quarterscellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" align="right" border="1" style="width:300px;"|-|align="center"|...
to mark the passing of time.