The Steps at Low Library

Word from Rome: renovations to the Spanish Steps have been completed and residents and tourists will once again be able to enjoy the panoramic view of a memorable Italian cityscape and the pleasantries of a civilized urban environment.

So too on campus, where the steps and surrounds of well located buildings can provide a place to see, be seen, and to participate in campus life.

With a design inspired by the City Beautiful movement, the steps of McKim, Mead, and White's Low Library provides Columbia university and Barnard College students, faculty, and staff with a comfortable and spacious outdoor platform and space for informal gatherings, events, and ceremonies. McKim's classical; facade epitomizes late 19th century new-classical designs, with its columns and portico marking the entrance to an important structure. Variations on the theme can transcend style, of course; and where such step-like effects are missing from existing buildings, the possibilities of an addition might be considered.

Richard P. Dober