Originally built in 1951, Kresge Centennial Hall has served as a trademark of Northwestern University’s south campus. Nearly every student that has attended Northwestern has taken a class in this building since its initial opening. It was built to commemorate the university’s 100th anniversary, which is why the seal was originally featured over many of its entrances. However, despite its initially positive reception, the building saw little to no renovations over the next 60 years and as time went on, it lost its initial awe factor. 

          Buildings built in the 50s were very tough and expectations were low. Kresge was initially built in a utilitarian and durable way with cinder block walls and exterior masonry. The new project to renovate the building in 2014 was a highly welcomed change. They gutted the interior and renovated the entire building with a focus on natural light and glass partitions to invite light into office spaces. The masonry of the exterior facade was repaired and all the windows were replaced. The new building also consolidated the humanities department. It served as an improvement to the facility in terms of aesthetic and technological improvements, but it also served a major organizational function. Now the humanities departments of the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences could exist in one place and use the space accordingly. After pushes from the student body in cooperation with executive members of the university, energy consumption and sustainability were another focus. As a result, the building received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design awards for its energy efficiency.

        Considering it had been 60 years since the last renovation, the new and improved Kresge Hall of 2014 was an extremely well-supported endeavor. Students, faculty, and staff alike were excited to start the 2014 school year with the facility. Professors received new offices with beautiful window views and the students got to learn in comfortable classrooms with improved technology that facilitated their learning. Despite all this welcomed change, the original facade that included the seal of Northwestern was left untouched and the seal can still be found near two of Kresge’s entrances.