Battle Hall, University library building in Austin, United States
Battle Hall is a university building in Austin featuring limestone walls, Spanish red tile roof, and extended eaves positioned centrally on the University of Texas campus. The structure houses the Alexander Architectural Archives and serves as a research facility for architecture students and scholars.
Architect Cass Gilbert designed this building in 1911 as the main university library, establishing design principles that influenced campus architecture through the 1930s. The structure became a model for how future academic buildings would be constructed on campus.
The building gets its name from Hardin Burleson Battle, the first dean of the College of Architecture. Inside, visitors can see how the space was designed to inspire study and reflection among students.
The building sits in a central location on campus and is easy to reach on foot. The architectural archives are open to visitors, though you should check ahead to learn about access times and any requirements for viewing the collections.
The building uses cream-colored limestone from Cedar Park, Texas, connecting it to regional construction materials of the area. This choice reflects how local resources became part of academic architecture in the early 1900s.
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