Calvin administration announced, last spring, that the main section of Hiemenga Hall would be remodeled during the summer of 2017. The affected area stretches from the library lobby to the chapel courtyard.

The remodel provides students with new spaces in which to study and congregate. It boasts new sleek wood finishings, new carpet, swiveling chairs for the study area and an illuminated Calvin seal in Latin. Don Levy, a worker at the physical plant, also installed new trash and recycle signs. He said about the new illuminated Calvin seal, “We’re really thrilled with it, and I think it looks beautiful, and you can see it from a long way off.”

Craig Hansen, head of the interiors working group, played a role in this new re-design. “Because the hallway is so central to foot traffic it has existed as a priority on the administration’s part for a while now – years – to have it just look better.”

However, the main hallway isn’t fully renovated yet. The new study spaces in the renovated hallway are dim because physical plant is still waiting to install some lights that haven’t yet arrived.Philip Beezhold, director of physical plant, said it would be unlikely that the study areas would be closed to install the new lights, though they may be closed for a short time.

Robert Bobeldyk worked closely with Hansen and others to redesign the hallway. He said there may be some surprises hidden in the design. “It hasn’t caught on quite yet, but those glass walls are actually designed for writeable walls.” Bobeldyk also made clear that only expo markers should be used on the glass, not permanent marker.

In addition, “The glass also pulls in some of the light from the outside and then it reflects and gives the hallway a little bit of that natural light.”

Most students seem to be extremely pleased with the new redesign and are hopeful for more renovations in the future.