As the plastic wrap covering the exterior of the Alumni Center is peeled away piece by piece, sunlight streams through the newly installed windows, and there are a lot of them—many taller than 100 inches. The cupola alone will have 16 windows, some round and some with a curved top, to replicate the original architecture. The garden level has roughly 30 windows, and there are more than 70 on the first and second floors. The new addition to the west of the building, which is considered the main entrance, will feature a large skylight and glass double doors. The existing doors at the east entrance will be restored, as well as the wood framing around the sidelights—the glass will be replaced.
The new windows were replicated to look like the old, but engineered with energy efficient materials and standards.
The following images were taken on a tour of the building Friday, May 29, 2015. The image above features the second floor stairwell and landing area, opposite the Ballroom. Once complete, this area will offer bench seating and stunning views to the west.
| The Board Room, located on the second level in the south west corner, has plastic covering the windows to protect from construction materials such as paint, but the ceiling detail can be observed. Once complete, this ceiling element will encase lighting. | |
| While plastic has been hung on the ballroom's interior, the removal of the exterior plastic wrap has allowed for an abundance of light the enter the space. The ceiling detail is also taking shape. The Ballroom is located on the second floor facing east, overlooking downtown Kalamazoo. | |
| In the Ballroom, the plastic is peeled away to reveal a column with Davis and W. Walnut Streets in the background. | |
| From the first floor on the east side of the building, a view of Kalamazoo. | |
| This image features a conference room on the second floor in the north east corner of the building. The removal of the scaffolding also allows for views of the columns over the east entrance. |