Union Gets an Update

BY Jordan Schraeder in 40 Acres Nov | Dec 2012 on October 31, 2012

Nearly 40 years after its last extensive renovation, the Texas Union has gotten another facelift.

New facade, landscaping and signage at the Texas Union

From redoing the ballroom floor to installing a sprinkler system, the recently completed project helped prep the historic Texas Union, built in 1933, for many more years as a hub of campus life.

The most visible of the changes: the formerly dark and desolate northwest end, at the corner of 24th and the Drag, shines with new lighting, umbrella tables, and even a Texas Union sign that glows burnt-orange at night.

“Before, that entrance was hard to see, and there wasn’t a lot of pizzazz,” says UT System project manager Bart Kleinmann. “We wanted to create a beacon of light to draw students in. It’s now more of a destination.”

Photo by Matt Valentine