Lurie Tower facts for kids
The Ann and Robert H. Lurie Tower is a special bell tower located at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. It's on the university's North Campus. This tower was built in 1996 to honor Robert H. Lurie, who was a student at the university.
Inside the tower, there's a huge musical instrument called a carillon. It has 60 bells! This is one of two grand carillons at the University of Michigan. The other one is in Burton Tower on the Central Campus. Did you know there are only 23 grand carillons like these in the whole world? That makes them very rare and special!
Building the Tower
The Lurie Tower was designed by Charles Moore, who also studied at the University of Michigan. The tower was officially opened in October 1996.
Ann Lurie, Robert H. Lurie's wife, gave a large gift of $12 million. She wanted to remember her husband and help build new buildings on North Campus, including this amazing bell tower. The tower was finished in late 1995. It stands very tall, about 167 feet (50.9 meters) high, making it a famous landmark on North Campus.
The Carillon Bells
The 60 bells inside the Lurie Carillon are made of bronze. They were made in a special bell factory called the Royal Eijsbouts bell foundry in the Netherlands. Bell makers usually mix 80% copper with 20% tin to make these beautiful bells.
The largest bell in the Lurie Carillon is called the bourdon bell. It's super heavy, weighing about six tons! Even though they are big, these bells are a bit lighter than the bells in the Burton Memorial Tower carillon.
Carillonneurs
A carillonneur is a musician who plays the carillon. Here are some of the talented people who have played the Lurie Carillon:
- Margo Halsted (1996 - 2003)
- Steven Ball (2008 - 2013)
- Tiffany Ng (2015 - )
