Arnold Hall

From USAFA Folklore

Arnold Hall, sometimes referred to as "A-Hall," the cadet social center, contains a 3000-seat theater, a ballroom, and a number of lounge and recreation facilities for cadets and visitors. It is named after General of the Air Force Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, commanding general of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Arnold Hall creates the north boundary of the Honor Court.

[edit] Architecture

(adapted from USAFA's National Historic Landmark application)
Although it is a four-story building, the first floor is much larger than the smaller three-story block in the center. Only the upper portion of the building can be seen from the Honor Court, and there is no direct access to the building from that terrace.

The primary entrance faces west one story lower than the Honor Court, at the parking lot level. The first floor displays 56-foot bays in an alternating pattern of granite, glass, granite, double bay glass entrance, granite and glass. The entrance bays are recessed one bay under the Honor Court. Beyond the entrance, two bays extend upward an additional three stories; that west façade is comprised of a glass wall set in aluminum framing. This section of the building, containing the auditorium, is clad in white marble set in an aluminum-faced frame of columns on the twenty-eight foot grid on the north, east and south elevations. The east façade of the first floor is primarily granite-clad walls, with a centered glass and aluminum entrance. A portion of the south end of the first floor sits underneath the Honor Court. An open-air interior courtyard sits between the south end and the auditorium.

On entering Arnold Hall the visitor steps into a long lobby/corridor, running north-south, with a relatively low acoustic floating tile ceiling. The polished brown terrazzo flooring with aluminum dividing strips, and white marble bands form a grid pattern that echoes the grid pattern outside. Original aluminum and glass display cases are built into the east wall of the lobby. Also on the east, steps lead to the foyer of the auditorium. This foyer features two geometrical staircases with no central newels that strikingly break the rigid angles of the basic planning grid. The white marble treads cantilever over a black recess that gives a floating appearance. The stairs lead to a mezzanine. The high ceiling of the foyer/mezzanine area is sloped and covered with acoustical tile. The upper half of the two-story west wall is glass. The floor of the foyer is white terrazzo, with the marble banding continued from the corridor. The mezzanine accesses the projector room and the auditorium’s balcony stairs. The auditorium, seating approximately 3,000, features the original seats and interior finishes. The walls are covered with a distinctive brass-colored acoustic metal mesh. The multiangled ceiling is covered with acoustic tile.

On the north side of the building, the ballroom exhibits a superb blending of the exterior and interior. The fully glazed north wall looks out on an outdoor terrace, transitioning the interior floor pattern (based on the campus grid) to the marble bands in the exterior exposed aggregate paving. The interior flooring consists of light-colored wood parquet separated by darker bands of parquet wood forming the campus grid lines. The glass wall provides a sweeping view of Cathedral Rock, a dramatic rock outcropping to the northwest. The room also features two self-supporting spiral staircases; these are pivotal architectural features in this space. The ceiling is covered with acoustic tiles.

In 1966, an expansion of Arnold Hall led to the enclosure of the courtyard between the auditorium and the ballroom and construction of a cafeteria-lounge.

[edit] Places within A-Hall

• Auditorium
• Ballroom
• Arnie's Lounge
• Hap's
• The Alley