Does anybody else

[Mike K]

Hate the lynah renovation idea that is scheduled for this offseason. I just feel this way because I have been going to cornell games ever since i was young and lynah has always had this feel of tradition to it. I just feel that this will take away from alot of that. I am so frustrated they are taking away standing room I have always hated rinks that dont have that. I dont know, what do you guys think, I just am really not looking forward to lynah changing, i think it's perfect the way it is.

[Beeeej]

I feel the same way you do about Lynah.  It's a barn, but it's our barn, and it's steeped with tradition and history.

But the upcoming renovations are at least partly the result of Coach Schafer's input and his vision of the ideal Cornell arena.  He has been a part of Cornell hockey for the better part of twenty-five years now, and we know how much he cares about the program's history and traditions.  There are few other people I would trust with Lynah's improvement and stewardship besides him.

Beeeej

[las224]

I think as long as they're changing it, why don't they extend the seats to go ALL the way around the rink?  That seems to me to be the logical place to add extras.

[Rosey]

[quote Mike K]Hate the lynah renovation idea that is scheduled for this offseason. I just feel this way because I have been going to cornell games ever since i was young and lynah has always had this feel of tradition to it. I just feel that this will take away from alot of that. I am so frustrated they are taking away standing room I have always hated rinks that dont have that. I dont know, what do you guys think, I just am really not looking forward to lynah changing, i think it's perfect the way it is.[/quote]
I think renovating Lynah is a great thing, for many reasons:

(1) Perhaps most important, they're improving the facilities in a way that will help recruiting.

(2) Maybe tied for most important is they're not knocking it down and building a new, faceless facility.  Our beloved benches onto which we can cram 30 people per row in section B will remain.  The low roof and resulting loud noise will remain.  Dave will still be there, atop the noxious propane resurfacer.  Arthur will still be PA announcer.  Yadda yadda yadda.

We lost the beloved bounce a few years ago, but I suspect the place will still feel like home.

(3) They'll obviously be replacing the nasty, communal men's bathroom behind section A.

Now if only the ECAC would allow beer sales, I'd be all set.

Edit: (4) Lynah is badly in need of added capacity.  Even a few hundred more seats would ease the pressure a lot, and bring market price a little closer to face value.  Er, maybe I shouldn't have added that last sentence...

Cheers,
Kyle

[nyc94]

I really dislike the way Cornell adds on to buildings.  I like Lynah as much as the next guy and I understand attaching the Bartels to Lynah allowed shared bathrooms, concessions, etc.  But it looks ridiculous to have a new(ish) field house with what looks like a large quonset hut sticking out the side.  At least they could have upgraded the exterior at the time.  Now I can't even imagine what things are going to look like post-renovation.  Probably just like something built in stages.  Same goes for Duffield being stuck to Phillips.  And could they have matched the stone when they added on to the law school?

[KeithK]

1) I don't like the idea of "premium seating" (or whateverthey're calling it.  new seats aren't necessarily a bad thing, if they're more of the same.
2) I don't see the need for a new fancy lobby/concourse (if that's even still part of the plan) - I like the setup we have now.
3) I hate the idea of having a decent locker room for visiting teams. :-D
4) I really hate the new bench/penalty box idea.

Edit: 5) I will also miss the spectacle of seeing coaches carefully making their way across the freshly resurfaced ice.  Hopefully we'll still get to see the opponents' coaches do this.

That said, there's a perception in the college hockey world that you need to have "up to date" facilities to attract top recruits.  It amazes me to think that kids would be more impressed by the locker room at Agganis than the atmosphere at Lynah, but I suppose it's possible.  If we need to renovate to keep up then at least the current plan seems to preserve most of the features that make Lynah dear to my heart (bench seating, close to the ice, low roof, etc.)

Basically I'm with you in spirit, Mike, but I think we'll do OK with this plan.

[Trotsky]

[quote las224]I think as long as they're changing it, why don't they extend the seats to go ALL the way around the rink?[/quote]
They can't extend the building in that direction -- that parking lot has already been scheduled for encroachment by *other* buildings.

If they started selling beer, at least Colgate fans would make the trip down.

[KeithK]

There is no over-riding architectural theme (?) to campus buildings.  I assume this was intentional.  Buildings built at different times look differently, as opposed to a place like Princeton or Miami of Ohio where everything has to fit a specific style.  The Lynah/Alberding juxtaposition reflects this (though I'm not claiming that this effect was intentional).

We're supposed to love diversity right?

BTW - why would you want to have a new building that matches anything on the Engineering Quad?  ::nut::

[Trotsky]

The "new lobby" can actually be pulled off really well.  They did a great job at Gutterson, where they effectively shoved the tendrils of a secondary structure around and into the original building, but left the whole rest of the building alone (think of the face-hugger scene in Alien).

I would love it if they radically back-dated the look of the lobby.  My favorite building in all of sports is Appleton, and walking into that building feels like stepping into the Lake Placid Rink for the 1932 Olympic final.  I'm sure instead we'll get some ghastly, impersonal stainless steel and plastic hospital waiting room, like the lobby of Cheel.  But in the end, as long as they don't fuck with the rink itself, whatever.

[nyc94]

[quote KeithK]There is no over-riding architectural theme (?) to campus buildings.  I assume this was intentional.  Buildings built at different times look differently, as opposed to a place like Princeton or Miami of Ohio where everything has to fit a specific style.  The Lynah/Alberding juxtaposition reflects this (though I'm not claiming that this effect was intentional).[/quote]

I'm just saying don't actually attach the buildings to each other if the styles don't match.

[q]BTW - why would you want to have a new building that matches anything on the Engineering Quad?[/q]

I would have swung the wrecking ball at Phillips (and Upson, Carpenter. . . ) but not my beloved Olin Hall of Pain and Suffering.

[Josh '99]

[quote Trotsky]I would love it if they radically back-dated the look of the lobby.  My favorite building in all of sports is Appleton, and walking into that building feels like stepping into the Lake Placid Rink for the 1932 Olympic final.[/quote]Are you talking about Appleton before or after they added the new lobby?

[Trotsky]

[quote jmh30]Are you talking about Appleton before or after they added the new lobby?[/quote]
I guess before, since I haven't been there since about '94.

[French Rage]

[quote KeithK]We're supposed to love diversity right?[/quote]

At least according to the arches erected all over campus.

When was the last major renovation of any sort at Lynah?

[Cornell95]

[quote nyc94]I really dislike the way Cornell adds on to buildings... Same goes for Duffield being stuck to Phillips.  And could they have matched the stone when they added on to the law school?[/quote]

Well it has been some time since I was on campus and in a design department (Landscape Arch. '95) but I will chime in anyways :-P

I think the decision to place Duffield on the Engineering Quad was a huge mistake and placing it either on the baseball field (softball is already exiled, why not find a new diamond as well) or even better where the current power plant is would have had some real upside (the power plant could have used a major upgrade 10 years ago and this would have reused an ecologically damaged site, still had proximity to the parking garage and provided and anchor building on the Orchards/Rt366 side of campus, plus plenty of room to do a really cool building and relatively easy access for chemical delivery etc. of 366, at least compared to central campus).

With regards to the Law School addition... I actually think that is one of the better efforts to respect the existing while taking advantage of new materials etc.  One reason they wont mach that stone from the old law school, Willard Straight and Stone Row is that it isnt the best quality stuff.  It was all mined from Libe Slope primarily over by the down hill side of the Art Museum and isnt the best grade (deterioriates in the Ithaca weather faster than higher quality material). Another factor is that local and state level historical societies have been pushing architects to make stronger distinctions between existing structures and additions... this is one reason (there may be others as well) that the additon on Sage Hall (library plus other stuff) is so diferent in color and module from the historic building (man that was a cool project).  I understand the initial designs were much closer in style but they asked the firm to change them.  While on the topic, what ever happened to that design monstrosity that was going to replace Rand on the corner of the Arts Quad?

Oh and for something entirely different (relevant to hockey)... I got nothing

[KP '06]

[quote Cornell95][quote nyc94]I really dislike the way Cornell adds on to buildings... Same goes for Duffield being stuck to Phillips.  And could they have matched the stone when they added on to the law school?[/quote]

Well it has been some time since I was on campus and in a design department (Landscape Arch. '95) but I will chime in anyways :-P

I think the decision to place Duffield on the Engineering Quad was a huge mistake and placing it either on the baseball field (softball is already exiled, why not find a new diamond as well) or even better where the current power plant is would have had some real upside [/quote]

Duffield's location is actually serving a purpose -- engineering students finally have a central meeting place. The atrium is packed all day with people studying or just hanging out.