Construction begins on BYU's 3-story Joseph Smith building
E-mail story
It's easy. Send a link to the story you were just reading to a friend. Just fill out the form on this page and we'll send it along.
Your name and e-mail address are transmitted to the recipient. Otherwise, it is considered private information; see Privacy policy.
Layton Construction Co., of Salt Lake City began construction Aug. 16 on the new Joseph Smith Memorial Building at BYU.
Construction of the three-story, 60,000-square-foot structure is scheduled to be completed by September 1991, said Edwin Cozzens, BYU assistant administrative vice president in the physical facilities division.The new building will be located just west of the old Joseph Smith Building, which will be razed after the new structure is completed.
Originally university officials had hoped to refurbish the old Joseph Smith Building, which was completed in 1941. But safety factors, design limitations, utility problems and a number of other obstacles made such a project impractical.
The new masonry and glass building will include a 900-seat auditorium, 14 classrooms, 75 offices, a commons and display area, an atrium, a small library and a conference room.
One unique feature on the north side of the building will be a 10- by 30-foot cast-stone exterior mural of education in the Church.
As with other BYU facilities, the new Joseph Smith Building will house a student stake and wards of the Church, and will include a baptismal font.
