A few years back, I had a conversation with someone from the Facilities Dept at Drexel. He mentioned that the orange brick that dominates the campus was not necessarily a design decision by the university, but was a politically motivated 'selection' made with pressure from city hall, the unions, and the Kelly family (owners of a successful brick business at the time, politically involved in city council and even an attempt to become mayor, and family of Princess Grace). I've tried to find information to substantiate this claim, but have found nothing yet. Does anyone know if there is any truth to this allegation?

Sounds like a bit of a stretch to me, but I can't say I'd be terribly surprised.

I've heard, rather ironically, that Drexel intended to continue use of the Orange brick, but it became so prohibitively expensive to do so that they had to resort to more common brick colors.

According to Drexel's Masterplan, many of the remaining orange brick buildings are slated for demolition or extreme renovation in the next ten years. It would be the end of an era!

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I doubt it. Kelly which is now Anastasia could still make money if red brick was used. Drexel could have used the same red/black brick that dominates the Penn campus.

I do know that orange brick was more expensive. If you look at the Devon Theater on Franford Ave, the money sides on the west and north sides are orange brick. The south and east walls are red brick.

It appears for the original Drexel building (orange brick), which is on Chestnut or Walnut, no expense was spared.

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"Things are starting to get interesting right about now"

All comments made by me on his board are given freely and probably worth what you paid for them.

When I was at Drexel I learned- but I don't know where- that the orange brick was choosen by the wife of the president at the time. This seemed logical to me because the wife of corrent president Papadakis- was responsible for design decisions in a hall in the student center among some other spaces on campus.

Thanks god for that! Where would one find a copy of said master plans. I have looked on the website and can't find anything.

Quite the oppososite of Penn which seems to put most of their design plans on the web.

Construction began in 1954 and finished in 1955 on the trolley portals at 40 & Woodland and 36 & Ludlow. The then-PTC's subway construction was part of what was called the "year of transit progress." Look at either portal structure, and then DU's orange brick and the copying of the modern look is quite apparent. The DU bldg. at the sw. cor of 32 & Chestnut was the first.
If "1955 subway" as a model is unappealing in 2007, what of the 70s bare concrete look?