Tag Archives: Cal Bears

Inside Berkeley’s newest, most discreet, building

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In a few weeks, a brand new, 145,000 sq. ft. building will open its doors in Berkeley. Architects, engineers and construction crews have been working on it for almost three years, and the scale of the endeavor cannot be underestimated. However it’s likely you haven’t even spotted this building; and, even when it’s fully operational by the beginning of next year, it will continue to be largely hidden from public view.

Cal’s new Student-Athlete High Performance Center, built at a cost of $150 million in private donations, has been designed to be almost entirely invisible. Sited largely underground, it hugs the west side of the Memorial Stadium. From the street, the facility appears to be simply a long, stone-clad wall which follows the curve of the stadium.

“The beauty of the design is that it maximizes views of the stadium and keeps that as the architectural focus,” said Bob Milano, Assistant Athletic Director at UC Berkeley as he took this reporter on a tour.

Continue reading »

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Road closure adds more woes for UC Berkeley neighbors

Construction vehicles near Memorial Stadium

By Niclas Ericsson

The east side of Piedmont Avenue – one of the main routes across the top of the UC Berkeley campus – was shut down May 23 for the summer, leading some nearby residents to complain about the continuing disruption caused by construction projects in the area.

James McClury, an architecture student, said getting around the east side of campus has been difficult this year with all the construction vehicles clogging the roads, and he expected the traffic situation to grow worse with the closure of Piedmont Avenue.

“But it’s impossible to stop it,” said McClury.  “The university is like the guerrilla gorilla of Berkeley, they can do whatever they want.”

Jack Chang, who was packing up to leave for his summer holidays, said he not happy about the closing down of one lane of Piedmont Avenue.

“That’s going to be a mess,” he said. … Continue reading »

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UC Berkeley

Berkeley: Say hello to Cal football season

Defensive Back Darian Hagan teaches me about running backwards.

School is officially in session at UC Berkeley, which means the 2010 Cal football season is upon us.

It officially begins on Saturday with the 1:00pm game against UC Davis at Memorial Stadium. Next year, games will be taking place at AT&T Park due to construction, so I’m guessing this season opener will be particularly enthusiastic.

What’s that you say? You’re not into football? You just don’t get it and think it’s all just a waste of time?

Oh, my … Continue reading »

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Police

The Berkeley Wire: 5.10.10

Death of UC Berkeley graduate at SF BART station treated as suspicious [SFGate]
Are the hunger strikers being denied water? [Hungry4Justice]
You’ll have to go across the Bay to watch the Bears in 2011 [CalBears]
New wiener in town: Orange County reviews its new Top Dog [OC Register]

Photo of Rose Garden by KAP Cris/Berkeleyside Flickr pool.

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