Lewis Archer McMurran, Jr. Hall

Christopher Newport University,
Newport News, Virginia

CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT UNIVERSITY’S (CNU) vision is to transform into a classic American campus setting that supports
high academic standards for a primarily four-year liberal
arts education. A key component of their master plan is the establishment of a central open green in the heart of the campus, called the Great Lawn.

To anchor the Great Lawn, Glavé & Holmes Architecture’s (G&HA) master plan proposed four new buildings. The first of these buildings to be built was the Lewis Archer McMurran, Jr. Hall. Continuing the Neo-Classical architectural aesthetic adopted by the University, the exterior façade and massing fronts the Great Lawn while also responding to the axis of an adjacent residence hall complex
to the west. The building houses seven academic departments and classrooms. A two-story octagonal central hall—embellished with a hand painted mural of Christopher Newport’s ships—announces arrival and provides areas around it for informal gatherings
and meetings. Although the building boosts state-of-the-art teaching and collaboration spaces, the building’s interior reaffirms the classical themes of the campus. Lewis Archer McMurran, Jr. Hall was designed in collaboration with consultant Lord Aeck Sargent, who provided programming and interior architecture for classrooms and office spaces.