What is a building? Is it just a building, or can it be art? Is the purpose of a building merely to be functional, or can it be inspiring and beautiful?
There is a beauty in tradition, and the Academy is a prime example of that. The Academy of the Holy Names building, “with its ivory walls so stately, and its cross a beacon crest,” has been here since the beginning. The building holds such beauty and tradition that it’s rooted in the Alma Mater.
The Sisters of the Holy Names had a goal to build a structure that would help their students. Though changes have been made to classrooms to keep with the times, there are pieces that maintain our roots. Certain parts of the school will never change because of its tradition. Areas like the chapel, specifically the stained glass windows, and the main facade.
“The Sisters have always been innovative, and they are all about making sure that we have given our students the best of the best,” said Jennifer Epps, Mission and Ministry Charism Coordinator.
Julia Davis is a self-described “Aesthetic Evangelist Catholic”, who is leading the crusade against ugly,” and her mission is “exposing the ugly death blow to The West that has been delivered through systematic destruction of beauty in all its forms – art, architecture, and religion.” She says, “My War on Beauty is the fight for its return.”
Davis said, “Being able to go to school in an environment like that would, not just continue your important heritage of your school, but create a very student-friendly environment that would foster focus and appreciation for what you’re learning and just be a great environment to be a student in, rather than if it was just a boxy, plain, minimalist new building. Typically, those are not the best environments for focus or inspiration, so I think the outward environment has a lot to do with the mindset you’re in.”
Most architecture now has lost value, art, and tradition. Most of the time, when a new building is built, it’s so tall and big with no real beauty or creativity to it. Take Bayshore for example. If you look around at the buildings around Academy, they’re mostly office buildings or condos with no real creativity. But our small four story school is one building that will never change the exterior because of the tradition it possesses.
“Understanding the outlook of people in the past of why did beauty matter to them so much. Is there something that we’ve kind of forgotten about that? Because things used to be overall very beautiful, even schools. Don’t take that for granted, but the fact that beauty has almost become a rarity in our contemporary time, and that it’s a great privilege to be able to go to school in such a beautiful building and in such a beautiful location. Know that beauty matters, and it does create a better learning environment and part of it shapes you as a person,” said Davis.
Although AHN is constantly changing the classrooms to better the learning spaces, the exterior stays constant with a beautiful history. The architecture of Academy is a symbol of the history behind it, and it’s an important part of this school. Having updated classrooms along with the traditional outer structure that holds such beauty is the best of both worlds. The school continues to do a great job in incorporating necessary updates, but also keeping the aesthetic appeal to all.
Sophomore Emma Brown said, “for me the bridge is what sets Academy apart. I have crossed it a thousand times and every time the view is amazing. The breeze is wonderful at the top, and I believe the bridge is one of the reasons Academy is so historically unique.”
