Campanile area upgrades improve access, aesthetic and functionality

LAWRENCE — As the fall semester begins, a refreshed vision of the Campanile area is starting to take shape. 

Construction crews over the summer have replaced aging pavement in the plaza area and surrounding sidewalks and stairways. Stone repairs and upgrades to the electric panel and service entry will begin in the fall, as well as new landscaping efforts. 

The repaved walkways have improved ADA accessibility around the Campanile, and added lights to the north will increase nighttime visibility in the area.

Alli Gerth, landscape architect and project manager, said the team has worked with KU Endowment to preserve the legacy of the 74-year-old World War II memorial during the project. 

“We wanted to make sure that it’s honoring the memorial and honoring the original intent of the Campanile while also upgrading it to modern needs,” she said.

Monte Soukup, KU Endowment’s senior vice president of property, initially brought the project to KU Facilities Planning & Development to honor Dale Seuferling’s retirement as president of KU Endowment.

“When Dale announced his retirement, we knew people would want to honor his many years of service in a way that was meaningful to him,” Soukup said. “The project to improve landscaping around the Campanile fit this bill perfectly. 

“It involves beautifying campus and creating a space that is accessible to all — something that mirrors what we do at KU Endowment, which includes, among other things, providing beautiful facilities and scholarships that make higher education accessible.” 

One of the major visual changes to the area includes an ADA-compliant plaza seating wall north of the Campanile. With the seating facing in toward the tower, Gerth said it can serve as an ideal backdrop for campus photos, and trimmed shrubbery and trees will also offer a better view overlooking the stadium. The seat wall incorporates the dedication plaques from previously donated benches, which were aging and needed to be replaced. 

“We tried to keep multiple uses in mind when designing this project,” Gerth said. “It's an area that you can use during any day of the year as just a nice, contemplative space on quieter days, but during ceremonies and activities it also remains an icon and photo opportunity while still honoring the memorial.”

Once the weather cools, the landscaping crew will encircle the tower with low-maintenance native plantings. To incorporate year-round color, workers will also add cherry trees on the south side of the tower for spring blooms and Shumard oaks to the north along the sidewalks to the stadium for vibrant hues of orange and red in the fall. 

With the changes underway and the remaining work to soon follow, Mark Reiske, director of Facilities Planning & Development, said he hopes the KU community will take advantage of the renovated space.

“It will be in the memories of those who will pass through it for years to come. The space will be many things to many people, but most importantly, it will be there for all that want to enjoy it,” he said.

Public access to the Campanile is limited during the construction period.

The project is funded through gifts made in Seuferling’s honor and the university’s Education Building Funds.

The last major renovation of the Campanile and grounds was completed in 1996. Constructed in 1950 and standing 120 feet tall, the Campanile honors 277 KU alumni, students, faculty and staff who died in World War II. The carillon has 53 bells, which chime on the quarter hour and hour. Since the Class of 1950, KU graduates have participated in the tradition of walking through the bell tower and down the Hill at commencement.