FINAL Gampel Court

[Husky25]

I was looking for the thread but couldnt find it... I believe he went by the name of Enzo... wonderful old Italian man, and the Gampel tiles were his masterpiece. Unfortunately he passed away years ago and his shop in Hartford blew up in a kiln fire shortly after. The diagrams and molds for the tiles were lost in the explosion, and cannot be duplicated... ever.

I find it difficult to believe that, in this day and age and with all the technology at our disposal, the tiles cannot be reversed engineered. I'm sure they thought of it and it may very well be cost prohibitive. To HFD's point (There is one, once you sift through all the crap), this is the perfect reason to run a Tile Drive to save Gampel Pavilion. Good marketing and a chance to tell the story of Gampel. Not necessarily the making of, but how the building has housed 11 National champions and we don't want to lose that history, etc. etc. etc.

 

[8893]

I find it difficult to believe that, in this day and age and with all the technology at our disposal, the tiles cannot be reversed engineered. I'm sure they thought of it and it may very well be cost prohibitive. To HFD's point (There is one, once you sift through all the crap), this is the perfect reason to run a Tile Drive to save Gampel Pavilion. Good marketing and a chance to tell the story of Gampel. Not necessarily the making of, but how the building has housed 11 National champions and we don't want to lose that history, etc. etc. etc.

I think you fail to appreciate the magnitude of this undertaking. It's the equivalent of trying reverse engineer the Sistine Chapel.

 

[Husky25]

Why is "uconn huskies " upside down in the blue. No way should it be facing that way

Quite simply, it is not visible to the near side of the court during games, only the far side. It would look pretty awkward if fans on the other side had to read"UConn Huskies" upside down, when they are the only ones that it benefits. They alread have to deal with the upside down logo.

 

[tykurez]

I believe it was Fishy who once said "One does not simply walk into Home Depot and buy Patoni tiles."

We were blessed to have that man's handiwork in the Pavilion.

 

[Husky25]

I think you fail to appreciate the magnitude of this undertaking. It's the equivalent of trying reverse engineer the Sistine Chapel.

Perhaps you missed where I wrote, "I'm sure they thought of it and it may very well be cost prohibitive."

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the conditions that surround him... The unreasonable man adapts surrounding conditions to himself... All progress depends on the unreasonable man." - George Benard Shaw

 

[Husky25]

I believe it was Fishy who once said "One does not simply walk into Home Depot and buy Patoni tiles."

We were blessed to have that man's handiwork in the Pavilion.

Well apparently not, because the tiles need to be fixed and/or replaced and there is not a current method at our disposal by which to do it.

If the tiles cannot be fixed and it is cost prohibitive to reverse engineer them, then it is probably as good of an excuse as any to tear down the arena and build anew with a hockey rink, which will cost more than the $50 mil (considering time value of money) to build the original. The building is 23 years old and younger structures in the country have been torn down for less reason.

Otherwise it's time to find an unreasonable man with some mechanical engineering apptitude and get it done. Either way spare the martyrdom until after they develop a solution to the problem.

 

[Matt (Chicago)]

I find it difficult to believe that, in this day and age and with all the technology at our disposal, the tiles cannot be reversed engineered. I'm sure they thought of it and it may very well be cost prohibitive. To HFD's point (There is one, once you sift through all the crap), this is the perfect reason to run a Tile Drive to save Gampel Pavilion. Good marketing and a chance to tell the story of Gampel. Not necessarily the making of, but how the building has housed 11 National champions and we don't want to lose that history, etc. etc. etc.

From what I understand, when Enzo first installed the tiles at GP, the administration was so awed by the artisrty of the Patoni tiles that they simply thought they would last forever, much like a Sistine Chapel (mentioned above) or other such iconic works of art. And even if by some crazy misfortune the tiles fell into disrepair, the molds still existed in Enzo's shop in Hartford. However that all changed after the kiln exploson.
There have been numerous attempts to duplicate the famous Patoni tiles of Gampel, but they have all failed miserably. In fact, the failures have been so monumental that legend has it that the ghost of Enzo Patoni himself has returned to sabotage the work of those who try to copy his masterpiece, forever ensuring that he is the one and only architect of the Gampel Pavillion tiles.

 

[8893]

Perhaps you missed where I wrote, "I'm sure they thought of it and it may very well be cost prohibitive."

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the conditions that surround him... The unreasonable man adapts surrounding conditions to himself... All progress depends on the unreasonable man." - George Benard Shaw

Well apparently not, because the tiles need to be fixed and/or replaced and there is not a current method at our disposal by which to do it.

If the tiles cannot be fixed and it is cost prohibitive to reverse engineer them, then it is probably as good of an excuse as any to tear down the arena and build anew with a hockey rink, which will cost more than the $50 mil (considering time value of money) to build the original. The building is 23 years old and younger structures in the country have been torn down for less reason.

Otherwise it's time to find an unreasonable man with some mechanical engineering apptitude and get it done. Either way spare the martyrdom until after a they develop a solution to the problem.

Perhaps my Sistine Chapel analogy oversimplified it. It's the equivalent of putting the Sistine Chapel inside the Pantheon, and putting that inside the Great Pyramids. Much like the Pyramids and the Pantheon, we do not even know how the Gampel structure was made, and it surpasses even our advanced understanding of so-called "modern" technology. Would one blow up the Pantheon or the Great Pyramids simply because some pieces are chipped and we cannot rebuild them? I don't think so. Now think about a great, original work of art inside, that is itself another great mystery altogether.

This is not simply an issue of cost, but of honoring one of the greatest works of all time, giving it its due place in history and allowing future generations to marvel at it for time immemorial.

 

[mauconnfan]

While I know little about Patoni or his artistry involving these tiles, to those who see Gampel as Uconn's home for basketball they are just tiles. If someone can (should be able to) reverse engineer these tiles just do it!! My son graduated from HS the other day and I set foot in Symphony Hall in Springfield MA and the ceilings were incredibly artistic and I was in awe of the woodwork involved in the historic building. I cannot say looking up at the ceiling at Gampel I have ever felt that way but what do I know about kilns and stuff!!

 

[zls44]

We were blessed to have that man's handiwork in the Pavilion.

Kemba? Yes, I agree.

 

[Husky25]

Perhaps my Sistine Chapel analogy oversimplified it. It's the equivalent of putting the Sistine Chapel inside the Pantheon, and putting that inside the Great Pyramids. Much like the Pyramids and the Pantheon, we do not even know how the Gampel structure was made, and it surpasses even our advanced understanding of so-called "modern" technology. Would one blow up the Pantheon or the Great Pyramids simply because some pieces are chipped and we cannot rebuild them? I don't think so. Now think about a great, original work of art inside, that is itself another great mystery altogether.

This is not simply an issue of cost, but of honoring one of the greatest works of all time, giving it its due place in history and allowing future generations to marvel at it for time immemorial.

No disrepect to the Departed, nor to 8893, but I'm more inclined to agree with mauconnfan. The Sistine Chapel ceiling is an original fresco painted by arguably the greatest artist of his time in the 16th century. I simply do not get the same tingle up my spine when I walk into Gampel as I did (on two separate occassions a decade apart) the Sistine Chapel (which has been reconditioned and restored, BTW) or the Pantheon (my favority structure in Rome and has also been modified as recently as the 19th century). Gampel is just 23 years old, there is simply no comparison.

Gampel looks to me like a typical geodesic dome. If there is any discernable artwork or engineering feat, it is not visible from the concourse to the lay person.

 

[8893]

Gampel looks to me like a typical geodesic dome. If there is any discernable artwork or engineering feat, it is not visible from the concourse to the lay person.

Therein lies the beauty. Gampel does not simply reveal its beauty and secrets to mere lay persons. You must simultaneously look both within yourself and beyond the surface of the physical structure to "see" it.

 

[CL82]

Following​

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Daniel Hamilton‏@D_ham5

RP of UCONN new court http://instagram.com/p/aTrBgjIAkL/

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I like this one better. Probably camera angle.

 

[CL82]

Quite simply, it is not visible to the near side of the court during games, only the far side. It would look pretty awkward if fans on the other side had to read"UConn Huskies" upside down, when they are the only ones that it benefits. They alread have to deal with the upside down logo.

Why do I hear this post in Calhoun's voice?

 

[Husky25]

Therein lies the beauty. Gampel does not simply reveal its beauty and secrets to mere lay persons. You must simultaneously look both within yourself and beyond the surface of the physical structure to "see" it.

Good grief...

I studied for four years at UConn. I've read my fair share of novels, biographies, and non-fictional accounts of history and science. I've been to 39 of 50 states and D.C., as well as 6 foreign countries. My wife would tell you that I have more than enough trivial knowledge floating in my head to make a decent run at Ken Jennings' Jeopardy record. I don't think she is being literal, but I still consider myself to be somewhat astute.

The lay person is not at Gampel for the beauty of the roof (though they, like I, surely noticed the triangles that make up the dome). They are their for the beauty of the full court press, the fast break, the alley-oop, and the game winning 3 pointer.

I'm not trying to disparage the man, or alter your opinion of him or the roof. I am saying that not everyone shares your view. I am also suggesting that the Administration exhaust all routes in developing that solution.

 

[Bryan Lord]

Took my GF to the gtown game at gamp this year. First thing she said was "the roof needs to be fixed." Didn't take anything away from the experience of that game obviously. She turned into a UCONN fan that game even though we lost.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

UConn...AAC

Teams that aren't as good as us? Maybe in basketball, but it was pretty obvious that wasn't Dan's point.

Yeah, remember back when we had the old logo and block C and we got invited to the B1G/ACC?

 

[BugsyCT]

Hope the mean & scary wolf doesn't scare little children away.

 

[Dann]

Yeah, remember back when we had the old logo and block C and we got invited to the B1G/ACC?

This is great. It was the logo as to why we are where we are. Lol anything to protect warde u guys are to much. The logo and brand is about how to capture and build a fanbase. I believe it's the wrong way. Others don't. But please, u and a lot of others continue to side step the actual issue and make things up and bs a lot to hide the fact that there is a issue you guys don't want to address.

If all you guys want to do is win bball championships and have 12-15k in Hartford and 9k in gampel for the rest of your life's then just come out of the closet and say so. We can knock down the rent and the pf. Sell umass some of our helmets and goal posts and we can call the big east and tell them we dropped football and now would like to join.

The logo brand is all about football and they screwed it up. We have a established bball base that's here to stay and will grow by accident with our great programs. We needed to be aggressive fball wise and instead we took the easy way out. Free logo. Short name. And so on. It's a crime that our leadership does not give a frock like some fans here do.

 

[huskyniner]

The UConn Huskies twitter just released what the final court will look like:

 

[huskymedic]

Love him or hate him but it gets the word out to 26k of his followers across country.

DanWolken 3:17pm via TweetDeck
Cool RT @UConnHuskies: Here's what the new Gampel Pavilion court will look like once complete: ow.ly/i/2kfoT

 

[HuskyHawk]

The UConn Huskies twitter just released what the final court will look like:

You beat me to it. This in't bad at all. The other pictures help, because it look much better glossy. I like the choice of sponsor, if we're still thinking B1G. Sadly, it seems very odd not to have the Big East logo somewhere.

 

[UConn Dan]

 

[tcf15]

Right below the hoop, it says Alumni Court. That's interesting. Has that always been the name?

 

[huskyniner]

Right below the hoop, it says Alumni Court. That's interesting. Has that always been the name?

Yes

 

[8893]

Good grief...

I studied for four years at UConn. I've read my fair share of novels, biographies, and non-fictional accounts of history and science. I've been to 39 of 50 states and D.C., as well as 6 foreign countries. My wife would tell you that I have more than enough trivial knowledge floating in my head to make a decent run at Ken Jennings' Jeopardy record. I don't think she is being literal, but I still consider myself to be somewhat astute.

The lay person is not at Gampel for the beauty of the roof (though they, like I, surely noticed the triangles that make up the dome). They are their for the beauty of the full court press, the fast break, the alley-oop, and the game winning 3 pointer.

I'm not trying to disparage the man, or alter your opinion of him or the roof. I am saying that not everyone shares your view. I am also suggesting that the Administration exhaust all routes in developing that solution.

You must learn to unlearn what you think you "know." Only then will you have the capacity to appreciate the singular beauty of Patoni's masterpiece and legacy.

 

[hthusky74]

I was looking for the thread but couldnt find it... I believe he went by the name of Enzo... wonderful old Italian man, and the Gampel tiles were his masterpiece. Unfortunately he passed away years ago and his shop in Hartford blew up in a kiln fire shortly after. The diagrams and molds for the tiles were lost in the explosion, and cannot be duplicated... ever.

Perhaps not duplcated, but if there is a nece$$ity for it I'm sure they can be replicated or replaced in some manner. Remember once the new practice facility is finished next year they will have the whole off season to replace the ceiling when they are ready to do so.

 

[Husky25]

You must learn to unlearn what you think you "know." Only then will you have the capacity to appreciate the singular beauty of Patoni's masterpiece and legacy.

As I said...Good grief.

 

[hthusky74]

Enzo Patoni, God rest his soul.

R.I.P. to one of the greatest artisan craftsmen of his time, or any time. He literally and figuratively broke the mold.

I heard Enzo started out stuffing raviolis, mannicotti, giant shells, and cannolis in the south-end, and then he moved on to bigger things. Maybe Geno knows someone in the old country he can bring over to handle the job.

 

[HuskyHawk]

No disrepect to the Departed, nor to 8893, but I'm more inclined to agree with mauconnfan. The Sistine Chapel ceiling is an original fresco painted by arguably the greatest artist of his time in the 16th century. I simply do not get the same tingle up my spine when I walk into Gampel as I did (on two separate occassions a decade apart) the Sistine Chapel (which has been reconditioned and restored, BTW) or the Pantheon (my favority structure in Rome and has also been modified as recently as the 19th century). Gampel is just 23 years old, there is simply no comparison.

Gampel looks to me like a typical geodesic dome. If there is any discernable artwork or engineering feat, it is not visible from the concourse to the lay person.

Agreed. The general response of those of us who were in Storrs when it was being built was that (1) it was great that it was so much better than the Field House! Hell, it might not even leak! and (2) man it was kind of homely, and why did it have that weird dome? There were many U-condom[e] jokes at the time. Complete with illustrations. It is not art. The place holds magic solely do to the feats that have occured upon the court and for that reason alone. I was there for game 1 vs St. Johns, right behind the basket (and for every other game that season), so I appreciate the place as much as it can be. The roof is inconsequential. It tiles that cannot be replaced were used, that was a collossal blunder.