EDITORIAL: The blemish that is the Blauhaus

Sunday's shooting emphasized the inadequacy of the "temporary" fine arts building. Not a very impressive statement to the general visitor. University officials don't hesitate to admit that the beacon at 33rd and Chestnut streets was built cheaply. Known as the Blauhaus, the one-story building went up in 1992 as a temporary home for the Graduate School of Fine Arts, and thus its plywood walls are about 3 inches thinner than the walls of a standard permanent structure. Not a very impressive statement to potential fine arts students. The extent of the building's flimsiness was demonstrated Sunday when a stray bullet, fired from a car outside, pierced the wall and hit College senior John La Bombard in the lower thigh. Although bullets flying toward campus buildings are, thankfully, still considered more random acts than the norm, the incident did highlight broader problems. First, temporary buildings should be just that. When Addams Hall, which was being renovated to house the GSFA, burnt down last March, the Blauhaus went from being a temporary site to one that would be used indefinitely. And in January, GSFA Dean Gary Hack said the school plans to retain the building for studio space and workshops even after it finds a new home. Students, however, complain that the facility is horribly neglected. But Art Gravina, who headed the University's facilities management division until late last year, is right to say that renovation to temporary structures make their permanence more likely. In the case of the Blauhaus, the building should be torn down as soon as the GSFA moves into new space. The building was a mistake that unfortunately blemishes the entrance to campus. But more generally, there is something to be said for putting money into temporary spaces, as it allows for alternative later use. For example, the former police mini-station on 40th Street can now be used as retail space. And the old Victim Support Services office at 40th and Walnut streets will house a community library for the next three years. This approach is far more beneficial in the long term than constructing cheap buildings. In the future, as temporary needs arise, the University should always consider these in tandem with possible subsequent uses of space.