Old Scripps Building facts for kids
|
Old Scripps Building
|
|
Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, CA (1910)
|
|
 Location in Northwestern San Diego
Location in San Diego County, California
Location in California
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 8630 Discovery Way, La Jolla, California |
|---|---|
| Area | .09 acres (3,900 sq ft; 360 m2) |
| Built | 1909 |
| Architect | Perl Acton; Irving Gill |
| Architectural style | Modern movement |
| NRHP reference No. | 77000330 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | November 10, 1977 |
| Designated NHL | May 20, 1982 |
The Old Scripps Building is a very old and important science building in La Jolla, California. It's part of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Built over 100 years ago in 1909-1910, it's the oldest building in the United States that has been continuously used for studying the ocean. It was also the main building for the Scripps Institution of Oceanography for many years.
This building is also special because of its unique design by a famous architect named Irving Gill. He used a new building method called reinforced concrete for it. Because of its history and design, it was named a National Historic Landmark in 1982. Today, the Old Scripps Building is used for offices by the Scripps Institution.
What the Old Scripps Building Looks Like
The Old Scripps Building sits right by the Pacific Ocean. It's on the campus of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. You can find it near the Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier.
The building is made of concrete and has two floors. It measures about 50 feet by 75 feet. The windows are set in pairs, making the concrete around them look like strong pillars. Inside, there's a wide hallway on each floor. The rooms on either side were used for different things over the years. A special part was the lecture hall on the second floor. From there, you could see amazing views of the ocean.
History of the Building and Ocean Science
The Scripps Institution of Oceanography started in 1903. Back then, it was called the Marine Biological Laboratory. In 1907, a man named Edward W. Scripps gave a lot of land for the campus.
His sister, Ellen Browning Scripps, paid for the Old Scripps Building to be built. It was finished in 1909-1910. The building was named in honor of her brother, George H. Scripps.
The building was designed by Irving Gill. He was an architect from San Diego who liked Modernist architecture. This building was one of the first to use a new way of building called reinforced concrete. This method makes buildings very strong.
In its early days, the building had labs, offices, and even a home for the director of the institution. For many years, it was used only for labs and research. In 1977, new buildings were made nearby, and the Old Scripps Building became empty.
The university thought about tearing it down. This was partly because the building didn't meet new safety rules for earthquakes. But people who cared about history worked together. They raised money to save the building and fix it up. They even changed it back to how the architect, Irving Gill, first designed it.
See also
In Spanish: Edificio Old Scripps para niños
