UC set to start demolition of iconic tower

Local news outlets share photos, remembrances of Crosley Tower

Cincinnati news media shared photos and memories of Crosley Tower as the University of Cincinnati prepares to demolish the iconic building on its Uptown campus.

Crosley Tower on Martin Luther King Drive will be taken down incrementally over the next 10 months. The tower was a classic example of Brutalist architecture featuring materials like bare concrete and steel, often boldly juxtaposed against open space.

The Cincinnati Enquirer shared a front-page story featuring a photo gallery of Crosley when it opened in 1969, including its sunken seating area in its lobby. Crosley opened as part of a larger Brodie Science Complex on campus.

WVXU spoke with UC College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning alumna Sophie Lietz, who appreciates Crosley's distinctive architecture.

“I love how bold and unapologetic it is,“ she told WVXU. “Everyone has a polarized opinion on it. I personally love the style of architecture, how minimal it is. It's kind of like modern art.“

Featured image at top: Crosley Tower, pictured with the Mantei Center. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC

Anna Hargan poses in front of Crosley Tower.

UC graduate Anna Hargan wrote her master's thesis on the Brutalist architecture of Crosley Tower. Photo/Connor Boyle/UC Marketing + Brand

Filmed in July 2021, UC’s episode is a crash-course in being a Bearcat, starring a few of the university’s best and brightest students and alumni. Some are lifelong Cincinnatians; others are from across the globe. But they’re all excited to show viewers why they've called UC home: From its beautiful spaces and state-of-the-art facilities to co-op and campus life.

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