The Instiution and the Changing Face of the American Small Town: Clemson Town Hall

Author

Michael Joseph Malloy

Date of Award

4-1988

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Architecture (MArch)

Legacy Department

Architecture

First Advisor

Gerald Walker

Second Advisor

Matthew Rice

Third Advisor

Yugi Kishimoto

Abstract

The thesis is concerned with the architecture of the institution and its role within the small town context. The institution both in its encouragement of meaningful public gathering and common agreement, can encourage and foster a deeper sense of community. The introduction of strip and by-pass development often diminishes this sense of small community. This thesis attempts to respond to this comtemporary problem frequently encountered in small towns today. Thw work of Christian Norberg-Schulz, particulary that concerned with his existental models of settlement and dwelling, informs the theoretical base of this thesis. To better assess the needs and concernes of the town, interviews were conducted with individual citizens of the town of Clemson. These and existing land use studies were influential in the development and 'grounding' of this thesis in a place, time and real need. The particular qualities and character of small towns in general were as researched and understood through both the above mentioned interviews and much of the work on small town design published by James F. Barker A. I. A. Dean of the Clemson College of Architecture. Research indicates that the town of Clemson is in need of an institutional image that can compete as an entity with the dominant landmarks of the university. Thus I chose for Clemson a new Town Hall and its symbolic strength for its purpose. This thesis concludes with a design of a new Town Hall incorporating city offices, council chamber, library, town gallery, day-care center, senior citizens hall, community rooms, recreation center and small performance amphitheater. In response to the shifting forces of small town strip development, the new Town hall will be located on the strip, in a gesture to reassert and re-define 'small town-ness' and 'small town mounmentality' on the strip.

Recommended Citation

Malloy, Michael Joseph, "The Instiution and the Changing Face of the American Small Town: Clemson Town Hall" (1988). Archived Theses. 165.
https://open.clemson.edu/arv_theses/165