The Demolition of the Humanities Building: Challenges and Progress

The demolition of the Humanities Building has been a long-anticipated project, with university staff and advocates dedicating years to fundraise, lobby governmental support, and manage the extensive planning required. In the last state budget, UW-Madison leaders asked for $292 million in state support and private contributions to demolish the building and move the existing occupants to new spaces. While that full funding amount was not included in the final budget agreement, your advocacy remains important. The state did provide $5 million in planning funds, which helps to advance this project through the necessary next steps.

Project Background

The George L. Mosse Humanities Building, constructed in 1969, originally served to address an enrollment boom and to house the art, music, and history departments. The original architectural design proved not to be cost effective and required cost cutting measures. These measures have resulted in significant challenges since it’s opening and have only grown over time, rendering the building unsustainable for contemporary use by students and staff. At the same time, the departments housed within Humanities have grown and changed, and the building does not have adequate space to accommodate program growth or support current teaching methods.

Currently, the Humanities Building faces persistent maintenance concerns, including regular water leaks that threaten the integrity of musical instruments, art materials, and acoustical wall treatments. The facility is also plagued by deterioration of essential systems such as elevators, mechanical components, and climate controls. The building was built to current ADA accessibility standards at the time; as those standards have changed over time, the building does not comply with modern building codes. Additionally, wayfinding difficulties frequently leave students unable to locate their classes. further highlighting its inadequacy for current needs. Even with those challenges, the campus continues to invest funds to maintain the building and ensure safety for occupants and visitors, including a recently completed access control project to improve building security.

In recognition of these ongoing issues, the university and alumni advocates have made concerted efforts to demonstrate to state leaders the urgent need for demolition and relocation of these programs. To address these problems, the university requested $292 million to both remove the building and relocate the affected departments to suitable locations across campus. The recently approved state budget allocated $5 million to the project, to fund planning and start the design to inform what is needed to relocate remaining department occupants and demolish the building. This is a necessary next step to continue advancing this project. Another step in this process - the opening of the Letters and Sciences building, Irving and Dorothy Levy Hall, will provide space for history students and faculty relocation; Art Department and Music Department occupants are intended to go into additions to the existing Art Lofts and Hamel Music Center, respectively.

Although there is no definitive update regarding the future of the Humanities building site, the university remains committed to this initiative. The Campus Framework Plan, (previously referred to as the Campus Master Plan) will explore what is best to be built in place of the Humanities building, once demolished. This study, which is updated every 10 years, outlines upcoming projects and goals in areas such as landscape, utilities, green infrastructure, campus design, and transportation. Though the full project cost of $292 million has not been allocated to this project, the $5 million commitment to planning funds help to continue to advance this important project. Your ongoing advocacy and university commitment will help to keep this project top of mind as we move forward. In the interim, the university continues to improve spatial and infrastructural conditions across campus and continues to work toward the eventual relocation of building occupants, enabling the demolition of the Humanities Building and unlocking the potential of a key site on campus