The Tisch Library roof, currently fenced off while it undergoes construction, is expected to reopen in December, barring serious weather-related delays.
The construction project, planned to begin last school year and be completed by the end of the summer, was delayed and did not start until school ended in the spring. Jo-Ann Michalak, director of Tisch Library, said the late start prevented workers from completing the project on schedule.
"While there was always a desire to have it done earlier, the logistics of construction competes against desire. Construction couldn't start until Commencement," she said.
According to Mitch Bodnarchuk, director of construction management, the roof remodeling involves an "artistic creation" requiring more detail and planning than a typical construction project.
"We had to support the artist's concept of the roof. Once we got started it has been moving right along," Bodnarchuck said.
Students who want to use the roof as a place to meet with friends against the backdrop of the Boston skyline have missed the space.
"When I got into Tufts I was really excited about the view [of] Boston, but when I got here I was disappointed there was construction," freshman Alexis King said, adding that she was excited to see the improved rooftop once construction ends.
The newly renovated space will be outfitted with foliage and a giant chessboard design on the floor.
"While it would have been great to have it done earlier, it's also great that it has gotten started and is going to be completed," Michalak said. "I think it is going to be a fabulous thing for students."
University President Lawrence Bacow initially proposed the idea of renovating the space. A committee of artists, Tufts administrators and museum students selected Jackie Ferrara, a renowned sculptor, and M. Paul Friedberg, a landscape architect, to design the new space.
The library roof will consist of three outdoor "rooms" of varying sizes where students can hold meetings, study or simply pass the time, according to Michalak.
The medium-sized room will have the chessboard as well as benches and stools.
The small room will be centrally located and separated from the other two by planters and trees. This area is designed to hold seven or eight people and has built-in tables.
The largest room includes a sundial, trellises and a gathering space that can hold up to 70 people. The plaza, which abuts the quad, will be handicap-accessible.
The renovation is funded by a donation from Tom and Andrea Mendell, parents of former Tufts student Alex Mendell, who committed suicide in 2003.
A recent period of clear weather has kept construction on schedule. One of the last hurdles of the project involves laying colored brick flooring, according to construction teams. This week, crews are working on setting up the electrical lighting around the sundial.
"You can tell that for the trellises, the uprights are completed," Michalak said. "The interior is a small room for small groups to gather. It looks like it is all completed. The plantings are all out there, and the steps are all done. There will be lights on the sundial; those will be connected this week."
A dedication ceremony is planned for April or May, but students will be able to use the space upon completion of the construction.
"Any dates ... all depend on the weather," Michalak said. "No sunbathing yet."
