Perelman Quadrangle, also known as Perelman Quad, is an area of the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

's campus in

West Philadelphia West Philadelphia, nicknamed West Philly, is a section of the city of Philadelphia. Alhough there are no officially defined boundaries, it is generally considered to reach from the western shore of the Schuylkill River, to City Avenue to the nort ...

that was redeveloped in 2001 in conjunction with a comprehensive renovation of Houston Hall. The renovation, performed by the architectural firm of

Robert Venturi Robert Charles Venturi Jr. (June 25, 1925 – September 18, 2018) was an American architect, founding principal of the firm Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, and one of the major architectural figures of the twentieth century. Together with h ...

and

Denise Scott Brown Denise Scott Brown (née Lakofski; born October 3, 1931) is an American architect, planner, writer, educator, and principal of the firm Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates in Philadelphia. Scott Brown and her husband and partner, Robert Venturi, ...

, also built a large open plaza formerly known as Wynn Commons, named for real estate businessman

Steve Wynn Stephen Alan Wynn (''né'' Weinberg; born January 27, 1942) is an American real estate developer and art collector. He is known for his involvement in the American luxury casino and hotel industry. Early in his career he oversaw the construction ...

. The name was changed to Penn Commons in February 2018 amid sexual misconduct allegations. Perelman Quad also offers event spaces in several adjacent buildings. Perelman Quad staff also manage public spaces in several other campus buildings.

Facilities

Perelman Quadrangle is centered around a plaza between Houston and College halls, but event spaces are located farther throughout Penn's campus. The plaza, which contains seating areas and a small

amphitheater An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...

, was known as Wynn Commons from its renovation in 2001 until February 2018, when the University removed

's name amid multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. Houston Hall (1895) is Penn's student union building, and by some definitions the first in the United States. Across the plaza is College Hall (1871), Penn's first building on its

and home to most classrooms and administrative space. Also opening onto plaza are

Claudia Cohen Claudia Lynn Cohen (December 16, 1950 – June 15, 2007) was an American gossip columnist, socialite, and television reporter. She is credited with putting the New York Post's Page Six gossip column on the map. The building housing the Univ ...

Hall (1874) and

Irvine Auditorium Irvine Auditorium is a performance venue at 3401 Spruce Street on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia. It was designed by the firm of prominent Philadelphia area architect Horace Trumbauer and built 1926–1932. Irvin ...

(1932). Originally Logan Hall, Cohen Hall now houses administrative offices, meeting rooms, and several academic departments. It was built for the University's

medical school A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, M ...

and later was home to the

dental school A dental school (school of dental medicine, school of dentistry, dental college) is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches dental medicine to prospective dentists and potentially other dental auxiliaries ...

and later the

Wharton School The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania ( ; also known as Wharton Business School, the Wharton School, Penn Wharton, and Wharton) is the business school of the University of Pennsylvania, a private Ivy League research university in P ...

. The Irvine building contains a grand auditorium with a substantial pipe organ given by

Cyrus Curtis Cyrus Hermann Kotzschmar Curtis (June 18, 1850June 7, 1933) was an American publisher of magazines and newspapers, including the '' Ladies' Home Journal'' and ''The Saturday Evening Post''.Ingham, John N. Biographical Dictionary of American Busines ...

, and also includes several smaller performance and rehearsal spaces. Williams Hall (1972), which houses offices and classrooms for humanities and language departments, also overlooks the plaza. While not directly located on the Perelman Quad plaza, the Iron Gate Theater (1886) and The ARCH (1928) are also bundled into Perelman Quad. Iron Gate occupies space of the former Tabernacle Presbyterian Church and the ARCH, formerly the Christian Association, houses multiple student organizations and a cafe.

References

External links

Perelman Quadrangle
{{Penn Perelman Quadrangle