Wilson Commons (University of Rochester)

Todd Union, which opened in 1930, served the campus as a student union and dining hall for many years. Detailed planning for a large student centre began in 1963 and the project was part of the 1965 Ten-Year Plan. In 1968 the building was named Wilson Commons in honour of Joseph R. Wilson, his children and their wives, and I. M. Pei & Partners was engaged that year to design it.

Ground was broken in February 1973 and, following many delays, the $9.5 million centre opened on 4 April 1976. Marie (Peggy) Wilson, speaking for the family, addressed the dedication.

Wilson Commons is shaped like a trapezoid. It is best known for its honeycomb windows, laid on the diagonal so as to frame the tower of Rush Rhees Library. Pei wanted an open look: in 1976 he said that nothing is more static and oppressive than a large, monumental space without windows. He also had plenty of trees and plants brought in, convinced that people gather when nature is brought inside. The centre has five floors.

Students come to work, eat, dance, rehearse and put out the campus weekly; the building has hosted protests as well. It houses the Hartnett Art Gallery, which students run.

The Hartnett Gallery is free and open to the public, as are its receptions and presentations. Wilson Commons stands on the university's River Campus.