Red Square (University of Washington)

[[Image:Suzzallo Library Across Red Square.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[Suzzallo Library]], looking east across Red Square]] [[Image:squirethatisbrickandred.JPG|thumb|left|Red Square at dusk]] '''Red Square''', officially '''Central Plaza''', is a large open square on the campus of the [[University of Washington]] that serves as a hub for two of the University's major axes, connecting the campus's northern [[Liberal Arts]] [[Quadrangle (architecture)|Quadrangle]] ("The Quad") with the [[science]] and [[engineering]] buildings found on the lower campus. The [[plaza]] is paved with red [[brick]], and becomes notoriously slippery during [[rain|precipitation]]. During the 1909 [[Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition]], the square was the site for the temporary U.S. Government Building. After the exposition closed, the building was removed and the area left an open field that eventually became known as the [[Henry Suzzallo|Suzzallo]] Quadrangle, after [[Suzzallo Library]], which stood at its eastern edge. In 1969, the field was excavated, an underground [[parking garage]] was built, and the engineers who designed the garage thought that the rain on the grass would leak into the garage, leading to the choice of a distinctive red brick surface. Cassandra Amesely, then an editor of the student paper ''[[The Daily of the University of Washington|The Daily]]'', convinced the student population to refer to the area as Red Square, presumably in reference to the color of the brick. Whether it was also meant to refer to [[Moscow]]'s [[Red Square]] in an era known for [[student activism]] is unclear. [[Image:UW kanehall.jpg|thumb|left|Kane Hall and the three brick monoliths]] The northwest area of the square is dominated by three brick [[monolith]]s, one of which was built to ventilate the underground garage, the other two being erected for aesthetic reasons. The northeast corner of the square features a version of [[Barnett Newman|Barnett Newman's]] ''[[Broken Obelisk]]'' [[sculpture]]. The plaza is surrounded by the following buildings: * '''[[Suzzallo Library]]''' to the east: the university's central [[library]]. * '''Gerberding Hall''' to the southeast: university administration. * '''[[Meany Hall for the Performing Arts|Meany Hall]]''' to the southwest: [[performing arts]] facilities. * '''Odegaard Undergraduate Library''' to the northwest. * '''Kane Hall''' to the northeast: lecture halls. ==External links== *[http://www.washington.edu/cambots/camera1_l.gif A shot of Red Square, refreshed every five minutes, from a camera atop Kane Hall] *[http://www.washington.edu/home/cambots/camera1b.gif A similar view, this one a video still, refreshed every minute.] {{University of Washington}} {{coord missing}}