Tuomey Hall frames Gorgas Library along with its sister building, Oliver-Barnard Hall, on the north end of the University of Alabama’s Quad in Tuscaloosa. This renovation and addition establish the new home for the Shelby Institute for Leadership and present displays from former Senator Richard Shelby’s archive, housed in a new Reading Room as well as a large seminar hall.
A new entry portico was constructed on the north elevation of this seminar hall, matching the architectural detailing and proportions established by the building’s original design. The flat ceiling in the seminar hall was replaced by heavy timber trusses and wood board ceilings, elevating the scale and grandeur of this space. Additionally, major upgrades were made to the building’s systems to accommodate this new use, including a new machine room-less elevator. Careful coordination of these systems with the space layout was required to minimize the impact on an already compact footprint.
