Commentary by Paula Wallace, President and Founder of Savannah College of Art and Design
Longtime Architectural Digest editor Margaret Russell calls the enchanted design of SCAD’s built environment “Venerable, but also vibrantly hip.” Her words came to mind recently, as I read the WSJ describe Savannah as “a Disneyland of historical architecture.” The truth is, you can find that venerable, vibrant marriage of historic and contemporary design at every SCAD location, including Atlanta and Lacoste, France. I’ve heard students call SCAD “Hogwarts, with WiFi.”
Approach SCAD buildings across the world—from Georgia’s first hospital and power station to countless 19th-century mercantile structures, residences, and more, not to mention others dating to the 11th century (in France, naturally)—and you’ll find yourself reaching for your phone for a pic. The buildings stop you in your tracks with their beauty and character.
Step inside and you’ll find something altogether new. While SCAD has restored key historic details (lintels, loggias, large windows for natural light), our interiors burst with contemporary surprise: chic seating, vibrant textiles, soundstages, Foley suites, electric standing desks, and endless works of SCAD art.
When I founded SCAD 45 years ago, the adaptive repurposing of historic architecture was a necessity. We simply didn’t have the resources to build new classroom space, and Savannah teemed with abandoned buildings, ready to be filled with vitality as a haven for professional creative education. As Jane Jacobs said, new ideas need old buildings.
The Mediterranean revival Pepe Hall (1906), which began life as an elementary school, is now home to SCAD Fibers, where students develop biomaterials, textile surfaces for home furnishings, fabric and finery for fashion, and work on a colossal digital Jacquard loom. The SCAD Student Center (1909), with its Moorish cupola and stained glass, once served as a house of worship. Today, the building again brings people together in community and fellowship, where SCAD Bees study, socialize, and compete in intercollegiate eSports competitions (earning two Sun Conference championships this year!).
The SCAD Museum of Art, built within the nation’s oldest extant railroad depot (1856), wedding historic Savannah gray brick to scored powdered concrete, modern glass, and steel, invites everyone to experience celebrated exhibitions by SCAD alumni and today’s most in-demand artists, from Kehinde Wiley and Carrie Mae Weems to Marina Abramovic.
The appeal of all these glorious SCAD structures evokes the rarity, strength, and timelessness of a string of diamonds. They remind students that we’re part of a larger story, even while writing our own chapters to carry us into bright futures. SCAD doesn’t embalm old buildings in amber. We enliven historic architecture with art and life. These structures were built by people for people, and I do not hesitate to reimagine them into joyful, functional spaces for SCAD students. At SCAD, we’re not stuck in the past. We’re time traveling.
Find out more about SCAD’s buildings facilities.
