[media-credit name=’GREG DIXON/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]Many students, faculty members and administrators agree that on the University of Wisconsin campus, no building matches the Humanities Building when it comes to character. Of course, nearly all would be quick to point out that saying Humanities has character is a nice way of calling it ugly and out-of-place.

Certainly though, there must be a reason for such an interesting design. One common rumor about the building are that it was built so it could also serve as a bomb shelter. Another story is the architect designed Humanities to be riot-proof. Yet another maintains the architect who designed the building did himself in after he saw how the building actually turned out.

UW Director of Landscape and Architecture Gary Brown, however, dispelled all of these rumors.

"I've heard a lot of stories and rumors about the building, and they are all just urban legends," Brown said. "As a matter of fact, the architect, Harry Weese, designed several other buildings across the country after Humanities."

According to Brown, the architectural design used for the Humanities Building, following what is known as the Brutalist style, was common in the 1960's. But fitting in with the name of its style, the structure has brought with it some brutal problems.

"The building does not meet the university's functional needs," Brown said. "There are key problems with the venting and air-conditioning system. There are also some structural problems on the outside of the building."

As the home of the UW Music School, Humanities is a less than adequate place for students to perfect their auditory craft. Molly Carlson, assistant director of the UW School of Music, said the acoustics of the performance halls do not produce a high-quality sound.

Dan Okoli, an architect on the UW facilities and planning staff, expressed more general complaints about the layout of the building.

"As a structure itself, I see it as a very interesting piece of sculpture," Okoli said. "But it does not relate to the buildings around it. It also doesn't feel comfortable for users. People often get lost inside when they are trying to find a classroom. It's also not immediately apparent where the entrance to the building is."

While most officials admitted Humanities is not the ideal setup for much — well, anything really — Carlson did say the building provides the school of music a few advantages.

"One thing that is wonderful about Humanities is the number of classrooms it provides us," she said. "That's something we tell students who [are] interested in coming here for music. There are plenty of rooms where students can practice."

There are no immediate plans to bring Humanities down, but Brown said the university's long term plan, about 15 years from now, is to replace the structure.

Ideally, for the school of music at least, the building that will replace Humanities will offer better acoustics for high-level recording and more storage space so risers do not clutter the hallways. And for students, Okoli said, the new building will hopefully not be quite as confusing.