MTSU to upgrade historic Kirksey Old Main, Rutledge Hall with $54M renovation

Two of the five original buildings on Middle Tennessee State University’s campus are undergoing a $54.3 million renovation.

“This is the most ambitious and extensive effort of its kind in the history of our university, and it will preserve these symbols of our institution for many more generations...”

— Sidney A. McPhee - MTSU president

Built in 1911, Kirksey Old Main and Rutledge Hall are among the first ever constructed buildings at Middle Tennessee State University and are still in use at present day. They represent the longevity and prestige of the institution while highlighting the evolution of education and student life on campus. Now, over 110 years later, the university seeks to memorialize and restore these two historic structures to better serve its growing student body. With focus on the student experience as the driving factor, MTSU was determined to create accessible and welcoming spaces for students to study, learn, and engage with each other and faculty members. This goal combined with the intent to feature and preserve the historic significance of both buildings’ design presents a unique and exciting opportunity to create spaces that are truly one of a kind.

As a longstanding academic and faculty building, KOM has seen many iterations of itself that have continually reshaped both its interior and exterior. The proposed restorative design includes the return of blocked up windows that were part of the original auditorium. In the 1960’s, the auditorium was filled with classroom and office space and new curtain wall clad corridors were constructed along the east and west sides. The curtain wall will be replaced with clear glass to allow visibility to the reconstructed auditorium windows beyond. Original steel trusses will be exposed in select 3rd floor classrooms, hardwood floors will be restored, and a new lobby to the North will provide an accessible entry. The interior flows from modern to historic beginning in the North lobby addition transitioning to the historic South entrance facing campus. Each classroom is equipped with modern teaching tools and technology, with ample gathering spaces and lounges dedicated to students and staff throughout the rest of the building Details such as wooden trim wainscoting and ambient lighting along the corridor elevate the historic atmosphere.

Rutledge Hall faces a greater transformation from a dormitory to an academic building. The design includes an expanded lobby addition that breaches the original West façade, creating space for an elevator and student gathering area. New interior stairs replace the existing exterior steel stairs on both the North and South end similarly activating the West face of the building. The original interior corridors are preserved with surface mounted light fixtures as a nod to the past, with ductwork and systems organized out of view. Many of the existing transom doors, thresholds and original trim will be restored, leading into new faculty offices and classrooms keeping the memory and story of the original dormitory alive.