Temple U. needs a new bell tower
The tower was dedicated in 1966; an update, please.
As Temple University grows into an established institution of higher education, the school needs a new symbol.
The current attempt at an indelible icon, the 100 ft. concrete bell tower, stands between 12th and 13th streets at the core of the urban campus. The campanile, designed along with Samuel Paley Library as the centerpiece to the entrance plaza, consists of 622 tons of concrete, featuring five copper and tin bells.
Dedicated in 1966, the outdated structure reflects the state-funding influences and concrete fads of the late '60s and early '70s.
“[The bell tower] is, like, a center icon for Temple,” Thomas Mosca, 22, senior math major at Temple said. “So, I think it’s a pretty cool idea to redo it because it’s just a square of concrete; it’s old, crappy and horrible."
There are three bell towers, currently in operation, that any variation of would match Temple’s need as the school transforms into a campus community.
1. The Swan Bells, set on the Swan River in Perth, Western Australia, stands 270 ft. tall and is comprised mostly of copper, concrete, steel and glass. The bell tower features observation decks with views of the city. Imagine a new bell tower with views of the Philly skyline?
2. Minnesota State University, Mankato bell tower, at a cool $275,453, the tower doesn’t even have any bells to ring; playing music hourly from a carillon. The tower combines an innovative twist on a classic design, symbolizing the advances in modern technology while staying within the traditions of modern education.
3. Sam Houston State University bell tower, featuring red brick, a walk way underneath and reaching just about the 100 ft. mark, makes this Southern Texas edifice a good example for Temple to emulate.
In ’66, the tower and library together garnered an estimated cost of $6 million to construct.
In 2012, the progress the tower would come to symbolize is priceless.