New McKay Laboratory Finished; Opens in Fall

Work has been completed on the Gordon McKay Applied Science laboratory on Oxford Street, but the building will remain unoccupied until next fall, University officials said yesterday. Applications for space in the building have been received at the Provost's Office, but no allocations have been made as yet.

Although construction work is finished, no equipment has been installed. The building is especially designed to handle the massive apparatus required for some aspects of engineering--there are extra large door-ways in the rear and platforms in the floor which automatically raise or lower to make all parts of bulky machines easily accessible.

Professors Advise

The University as present has no building capable of adequately handling modern engineering experimental equipment To make sure that the McKay labs would be perfectly designed, a group of science professors worked with the architects.

Flexibility is the main strong-point of McKay. Special construction features such as the elevator platforms mentioned above, will permit lab-space to be altered to fit particular pieces of apparatus. The wiring and piping systems spring from centralized locations throughout the building to permit easy access.

Glass Curtain

The entire front wall of the building, facing on Oxford Street across from the Malinckrodt Chem. Labs, is glass panes. The columns which support the building are set in back of this glass curtain.

Construction on the new building was begun last spring, and, despite a work let-up due to the severe winter, was finished on schedule. Workers on the jot said they had no difficulty with the box like design.

Next term should see the building in full use, officials predicted.