The initial work will be a comprehensive restoration of the Tower’s exterior, including the stone, windows, lighting, clockface and historical gilding on the facade of the building. Matching the building’s original appearance, the University will repaint metal and wooden surfaces in their original colors, reapply gilding to the Tower clock and cast-iron spandrels, and reconstruct the east and west entrances. The work also includes updating the exterior lighting to an LED-based system, replacing select roofs and refurbishing windows to improve their appearance, operability and energy efficiency.

Scaffolding and restoration work will be done in sequence on every facade of the Main Building and Tower, starting with the northern perimeter of the Main Building. The work will take place concurrently on multiple sides until the entire building is restored.

To reach project milestones, the Main Building will sequentially have scaffolding on various facades through the summer of 2027.

The project timeline calls for the scaffolding to begin rising on the north facade of the Main Building in November. However, the construction will not advance to cover the Tower and south facade of the Main Building until after the University’s 2025 commencement celebration. The schedule may evolve throughout the course of the project due to weather or unforeseen conditions.

Students who are expecting to graduate during 2026 and 2027 should make plans to capture those special Tower photos throughout the year, prior to the scaffolding and scrim covering the building.

For the purposes of this project, the Main Building includes levels 9 and below (the areas in yellow in the diagram). The Tower comprises levels 10 and above (depicted in orange in the diagram).

Traditional lighting will be affected. However, the restoration project team will provide lighting throughout construction, ensuring the celebration of athletic and academic achievements, calendar milestones and other events.