Difference between revisions of "Currier Hall"

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As all dorms of the Berkshire Quad, Currier is served primarily by the [[Driscoll]] dining hall.
 
As all dorms of the Berkshire Quad, Currier is served primarily by the [[Driscoll]] dining hall.
  
==Architectural Features==
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==Architecture==
  
 
''For Currier floor plans, see WSO/plans' [http://wso.williams.edu/plans/house?id=7 Currier page].''
 
''For Currier floor plans, see WSO/plans' [http://wso.williams.edu/plans/house?id=7 Currier page].''
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=== The Basement ===
 
=== The Basement ===
  
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For most dorms, it is not worth writing a seperate section for a seperate floor of the building, but Currier basement is one of a kind, and is isolated almost entirely from the floors above.  The only way to get from the basement to another floor without exiting and reentering the building is via a  treacherous spiral staircase running from the garbage room on the first floor to a landing in the center of the basement.  Residents of upper floors carrying loads of laundry have a tough choice between the hassle of picking down the spiraling stairs, whose metal surfaces are more like rungs than steps, or leaving the building quadside and reentering through the center door.
  
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The crown jewel of the basement is, without a doubt, the [[#The Ballroom|ballroom]], which deserves its own section below.
  
==
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=== The Ballroom ===
  
 
Rooms in Currier run the gammut, from a gargantuan double and some senior singles in the high-ceilinged basement, to some sweet corner rooms on the higher floors, to the narrow but decent rooms off the center hall and center sides.  Basement rooms with north facings have huge windows and very nice private balconies, which unfortunately nearly abut [[Route 2]].   
 
Rooms in Currier run the gammut, from a gargantuan double and some senior singles in the high-ceilinged basement, to some sweet corner rooms on the higher floors, to the narrow but decent rooms off the center hall and center sides.  Basement rooms with north facings have huge windows and very nice private balconies, which unfortunately nearly abut [[Route 2]].   

Revision as of 01:00, December 7, 2005

Currier is dormitory on the Berkshire Quad, unique both in architecture and traditional inhabitants. Three floors rise above ground and one, despite being called the basement, is below ground on the quad side but opens into air on all other sides. It is one of the core Odd Quad buildings, in that, along with Fitch, it traditionally houses upperclassmen of the Deviant and WARP culture type, and others who enjoy their company.

As all dorms of the Berkshire Quad, Currier is served primarily by the Driscoll dining hall.

Architecture

For Currier floor plans, see WSO/plans' Currier page.

The Top Three Floors

To a bird's eye, Currier is shaped like a blocky "C", with its arms opening east. Windows offer views in all directions, and the Currier 3rd floor rooms with a vista towards the mountains probably have the most beautiful views on campus. The west side of the building features a view of beautiful Berkshire Quad, and three balconies accessed by large French windows on the second floor. The outer two of these balconies attach to common rooms, but the center has the distinction of adjoining Currier C21.

The idiosyncratic layout of Currier's interior gives rise to some strange features. Two very large stairwells of slate steps that provide access from the first to third floor occupy a large volume of the space inside. The stairwells divide Currier into north, center, and south suites, with about six rooms on each of these suites.

The common areas on the top three floors are like the negative space amidst the odd positioning of Currier's rooms. The center halls of the second and third floors have no common space of their own at all; the first has an enormous room that is typically the house gathering space. On the north and south ends of the buildings, common areas take a different shape depending on the floor. The second floor's are quite awkward, and defy description. See the plan here, or just imagine a rectangular room with a big bite taken out of the top.

The Basement

For most dorms, it is not worth writing a seperate section for a seperate floor of the building, but Currier basement is one of a kind, and is isolated almost entirely from the floors above. The only way to get from the basement to another floor without exiting and reentering the building is via a treacherous spiral staircase running from the garbage room on the first floor to a landing in the center of the basement. Residents of upper floors carrying loads of laundry have a tough choice between the hassle of picking down the spiraling stairs, whose metal surfaces are more like rungs than steps, or leaving the building quadside and reentering through the center door.

The crown jewel of the basement is, without a doubt, the ballroom, which deserves its own section below.

The Ballroom

Rooms in Currier run the gammut, from a gargantuan double and some senior singles in the high-ceilinged basement, to some sweet corner rooms on the higher floors, to the narrow but decent rooms off the center hall and center sides. Basement rooms with north facings have huge windows and very nice private balconies, which unfortunately nearly abut Route 2.

Inhabitants

Bridge, Chocoholics

Fun Facts

  • With two bathrooms and about 18 residents per first-through-third floor, Currier features the highest bathroom/resident ratio on campus.
  • Currier Ballroom once housed the WARP stash: a collection of weapons, shields, and other armaments used for bop-swording.
  • The roof of the Currier Ballroom is the easiest to access on campus. Climb through the window of the spiral staircase room and there you are! Great for a house party, sunbathing, and making a snow sculpture in a strange place for (half) your dormmates to see.
  • There is a strange stone face in the basement corner double.