This is Texas. What starts here changes the world.

It is imperative that we must “[connect] the values and mission of the university to the needs of the state and the nation” as the mission statement of the University of Texas tells us ¹ . The University of Texas changes the world, but its roots are still firm in the Texas soil. America recognizes Texas as a unique part of the nation; Texas was its own republic before joining the Union on unconstitutional terms. Texans have a sort of pride that cannot be found in residents of other states. John Steinbeck writes about Texas, “For all its enormous range of space, climate, and physical appearance, and for all the internal squabbles, contentions, and strivings, Texas has a tight cohesiveness perhaps stronger than any other section of America.” ² From the Battle of San Jacinto, where Sam Houston routed the armies of Santa Anna, to San Jacinto Boulevard, where the national championship Longhorns routed Sam Houston State, Texas is home to a longstanding tradition of pride, excellence, and unique cultures. It is therefore appropriate that the university’s culture reflect the culture and the origin of the state of Texas itself. The Spanish influence that presided over Texas for centuries should not fade into the sunset; the Spanish Renaissance style of architecture exhibited in Battle Hall, Sutton Hall, and the New Main Building should form the basis for the new campus plan for the University of Texas at Austin.

John Steinbeck states “I have said that Texas is a state of mind, but I think it is more than that. It is a mystique closely approximating a religion. And this is true to the extent that people either passionately love Texas or passionately hate it and, as in other religions, few people dare to inspect it for fear of losing their bearings in mystery or paradox.” ³ The Spanish Renaissance form of architecture is perfect for the University of Texas because it “embodies within its very structure all the traits, mysticisms, and enigma of Spain” ⁴ , which directly influenced the development of the mysticisms and enigmas of Texas. According to H.W. Booton and Andrew N. Prentice, most of the distinguished architects were foreigners “imbued with the spirit or atmosphere of Spain.” ⁵ Like Spain under Ferdinand and Isabella, Texas had a special character about it that hypnotized the population of the Southwestern United States in the mid 1800s. Thousands of families from Tennessee and other Southern states sketched with chalk GTT on their front doors: Gone to Texas. At that time Texas was as mystical and strange as Castilian y Leon.

Spanish, or Mediterranean, Renaissance style is based from Plateresque architecture, meaning literally “like silversmiths work.” ⁶ The form’s name is typically given to the sixteenth century style of architecture where “Gothic and Renaissance elements are freely and ingeniously blended.” ⁷ The style developed primarily into two distinct phases: the Gothic phase and the Renaissance phase. The Gothic, or Isabelline, Plateresque building was adorned with exterior decoration like shells, faceted stones, and heraldic devices and iconography. It is in this form of architecture that the shell, a symbol of pilgrimage and accomplishment, became most popular. Ornamented facades housing small windows were realized in "austere masonry and lime wash to resemble the retable of churches." ⁸ In the later Renaissance Plateresque, classical columns mixed with Gothic tracery and vaulting. The Gothic placement and construction of facades were further embellished by Florentine decorations and classical motifs. Grotesque elements like dragons, as illustrated in the Gothic Plateresque vault below, were combined with classical figurines and intricate details. Layout of the building was based on “geometric clarity and severity." ⁹

An embellished Gothic vault within the façade of Sutton Hall
The University of Texas at Austin

Appreciation for the beauty of Spanish Renaissance style on the University of Texas campus has not been lost in the past ninety years; many still consider Battle Hall to be 'the architectural gem of the campus." ¹⁰ Strict adherence to the original Spanish style campus building plan is necessary to retain the traditions of the institution. Battle Hall architect Cass Gilbert's vision for campus can still be seen in the buildings' and their decorations' representation of the Spanish cultural influence which helped Texas develop into such a land of opportunity. Gilbert’s use of smooth cream limestone as the primary building material reflects the Spanish heritage of Texas. Symbols, icons, and other decorations which include “wide projecting eaves, ornate coffers with penules and a terra-cotta frieze” ¹¹ further suggest this rich Euro American background that Texas comes from. Sutton Hall, another Cass Gilbert building, is rich with art and insignia characteristic of the colorful Plateresque style ¹² . The arched side of the building features complex iron lanterns on either side of the main entrance, which are just a few of the many intricacies placed into the embellishment of the building. Campus architect Paul Cret continued in the use of limestone and buff-to-orange brick around campus in the 1930s, and his buildings, like the New Main Building and Tower, barely stray from Gilbert’s Spanish Mediterranean Renaissance theme. It is no coincidence that the university’s most prized and acknowledged buildings are the ones most consistent with the Spanish Plateresque architecture.

The arched exterior side of Sutton Hall, constructed in 1917
The University of Texas at Austin

The future Master Plan for the University of Texas at Austin must maintain the respect for open spaces and nature that campus architect Paul Cret developed in the 1930s. Texas has long been a state of open plains and a hill country dubbed “a land of false horizons." ¹³ Before Europeans even arrived in the Americas, Texas has boasted of its connection to nature; it would be imprudent to construct a campus that ignored this. The flowing streams, abundant herds of deer, and knee-high grass made Texas seem like heaven on Earth for new settlers. In 1836, after arriving from Tennessee to take part in the Texas Revolution, David Crockett remarked, “I must say as to what I have seen of Texas it is the garden spot of the world. The best land and the best prospects for health I ever saw, and I do believe it is a fortune to any man to come here. There is a world of country here to settle.” ¹⁴ The landscaping of the University of Texas Master Plan should be designed in the future to portray the “garden spot” that Crockett depicts. While the campus should not necessarily reflect the flora of Texas to the extent of prickly pears, the scheme of the landscaping must always retain the availability of open spaces. The pleasant fields and waters are what invites students to stay and abide at a university, so it is of utmost importance that the natural elements of a college campus are respected in new construction and expansion. ¹⁵

The new Master Plan should welcome a return to symmetry and order in the campus’s buildings and landscaping. Cret’s design of the three-lawn system around the Main Building separated the campus into symmetrical geometric portions that provided for plenty of open space and landscaping. The South Lawn is constantly occupied by students studying, playing Frisbee, or sunbathing. Immediately south of the Main Building, hedges are used to provide a sense of boundary while leaving the wide open space intact. However, in more recent construction the respect for symmetry and room for nature has decreased in areas outside the three lawns around the tower. The Red McCombs School of Business and Sanchéz Education building are monoliths that contain all the works of a single school within the same building. Unlike in the original university layout, students are unable to walk outside between classes or even take advantage of the shade provided by a line of well-placed trees, appreciating nature’s beauty. An element of the traditional college campus, the residence hall quad, has been eliminated as the colossal Jester center strives for maximum efficiency over beauty and design. New buildings must follow the new Master Plan’s featured Spanish Renaissance architecture and also allow for more open spaces and landscaping. Further use of low hedges imitating those in the Tower courtyard is encouraged; trees provide much needed shade, but hedges, unlike trees, do not restrict the open space which the University of Texas campus should promote. The campus should feel limitless because the institution itself provides limitless opportunities to its students and faculty. Wide open landscapes will symbolize the boundless horizons Longhorn students will encounter in life. However, the beauty of our campus should offer its own distinct boundary to the surrounding city of Austin. The university should not require high walls or thick trees to distinguish its boundaries from where those of the city; the landscaping and natural beauty of the campus will make this distinction clear in its own. To preserve our own university culture there must be some differentiation between the campus and the bustling city around it; Oxford’s downfall, according to Newman, was when they were forced to sell their open spaces and “the country at length became town." ¹⁶

To show the pride the University of Texas bears to the state which chartered it, the appearance of the institution must reflect and pay homage due to the state’s beginnings. Texas’s greatest symbols reflect the state’s legacy and tradition; the Alamo in San Antonio is an example of the Spanish Renaissance style in Texas. The building’s Plateresque features include classical columns, narrow windows, and exterior facades housing detailed sculptures. In the future the campus plan should continue representing the Spanish style, using red Spanish tile on pitched roofs, constructing small and subtle balconies, and marking the buildings with ornate ironwork and delicate ornamentation. Only through this course will the University of Texas maintain the unique Texas culture that the fine institution was founded on. In 1950, the Board of Regents labeled Battle Hall as a “corner forever Texas.” ¹⁷ The university should strive to make the entire campus a “corner forever Texas” as the Austin area continues to grow and the old vision of Texas slowly disappears.

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Word Count without Captions or Quotes: 1406

1. http://www.utexas.edu/welcome/
2. http://www.texasbob.com/txquotes.html
3. http://www.texasbob.com/txquotes.html
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9. http://uk.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_781533653_2/Spanish_Art_and_Architecture.html#p24
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13. Caro, Robert. The Path to Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson. New York: Knopf, 1982. Page 8.
14. http://www.texasbob.com/txquotes.html
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