In Aeternum, July 2009 Download PDF - Queen's College ...

The Eakins Redevelopment – now officially open!
“Let me say how excited and proud I am to be standing here
today. It’s the fi rst ceremony of its kind that we’ve had here at
Queen’s during my Mastership. It demonstrates that the College
is fi ring on all cylinders”. These were the opening lines of David
Runia’s speech at the historic Offi cial Opening of Stage One of
the College’s building programme, the Eakins Redevelopment.
More than 100 guests, including donors, Wyverns, Friends
of Queen’s, current students and parents, members of staff,
members of David Eakins’ family, and colleagues from around
the Crescent gathered together in Eakins Hall. They listened as
the Master outlined his vision for his College then witnessed
“Lifting Our Sights” Campaign Patron, Emeritus Professor
David Penington AC, offi cially unveil a plaque to be placed in the
Eakins Foyer.
Celebrated architect John Wardle (son of Wyvern Bryan Wardle, le
1942, now deceased) and his team have done a superb job of
not only complementing our main dining hall with handsome
meeting rooms, but adding much needed new facilities for
students, staff and conference groups.
With th the addition of some substantial s acoustic dampening, the
mezzanine’s Stafford Room will
no doubt become an especially
favoured venue, restoring the Coun Council Chamber to its earlier
home and attracting University gatherings gather with its special
views, both internal and external. A signifi cant improvement
to the area a is both a lift and a new, user-friendly staircase. stai The
former ormer will permit catering to serve the Stafford Room
with
ease, ease overcoming OH & S issues.
A key to the Redevelopment is a covered walkway between betw
Eakins Hall and the Junior Common Room. Increasingly in
demand for special functions and larger meetings, tings, the JCR J is
now linked to Eakins Hall, integrating the College’s principal prin
public spaces. It is now possible for the College to run
quite
different and d even large scale functions simultaneously simultaneo in four
venues, all served by a central kitchen and catering
department,
all in close geographic proximity, y, and all under the same roof. ro
The completion of the project is the fi rst tangible result of the
support of our “Lifting Our Sights” Campaign don donors. The
College remains extremely grateful to those who
have so
generously helped to bring it to fruition.
President of Council, John Castles AM with Professor
David Penington AC and the Master, David Runia
Deputy Campaign Chair, Paul Wiegard (’88) walks
through the newly-renovated Eakins Foyer.
Campaign Committee member James Garde (’83) with
some of the exciting John Wardle designs
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