Kessler Campanile facts for kids
The Kessler Campanile is a tall bell tower at the Georgia Institute of Technology (often called Georgia Tech). It stands about 80 feet (24 meters) high. An artist named Richard Hill designed it. The tower was first built for the 1996 Summer Olympics held in Atlanta.
The Campanile is named after Richard C. Kessler, who went to Georgia Tech. People often call it "The Campanile" or sometimes "The Shaft." The area around the tower, including an outdoor theater, was rebuilt in 2011. This was part of a bigger project to build the Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons.
Where is the Kessler Campanile?
The Kessler Campanile is located right in the middle of the Georgia Tech campus. It stands in front of the student center. You can see it from many parts of the central campus.
The tower is surrounded by an amphitheater with 300 seats. This is a popular spot where students and others from Georgia Tech gather.
How the Campanile Was Designed
This 80-foot-tall tower looks a bit like a twisted obelisk. It gets narrower as it goes up and has a pyramid shape at the very top. It is made from 244 stainless steel plates. Each plate is turned a little bit, which makes the tower look like it's swirling as it rises.
Richard Hill, who designed the Campanile, studied art at the University of Georgia. Another person, Vic Williams, who also went to Georgia Tech, helped by making the computer drawings for the tower. The way the tower is built to stand strong was designed by Jim O'kon, another Georgia Tech graduate.
The special peaks at the top of the Campanile look like the design of Tech Tower. Tech Tower is the oldest building on campus and a traditional symbol of the school. After the Campanile was finished, its unique peak design became a new symbol for the university.
Music from the Tower
The Kessler Campanile can play several songs. It uses special speakers that sound like carillon bells. One of the songs it can play is "Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech," which is the university's fight song. The tower used to play the Westminster Quarters chime to tell the time, but it has been quiet since 2009.
