“Other buildings play with historical fragments, but Merrifield hall actually looks like a Greek temple, or an early American courthouse in the classical revival style.”* This large, freestanding classroom is named for the former president and chancellor of Loyola Marymount University, the Reverend Donald P. Merrifield. It is bordered on the south side by stucco columns, inspired by Gehry's travels in Greece and Rome, and his appreciation of ancient architecture.
“The columns in front of Merrifield and the steps around the oak tree provide a classic backdrop for speaking to a public audience. Gehry was quoted in 1985 in the Loyola Law Review: “I always envisioned somebody standing in the middle—in between those columns—and spontaneously spouting forth great ideas.”
The interior of this structure is designed to inspire great ideas as well. “Inside, Merrifield is a theater-style classroom seating 125 students. Gehry’s raw construction look is in full expression in the ceiling, where he places a swarm of beautiful flying plywood wedges overhead to aid in the room’s acoustics.”
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