Well, this certainly isn’t Bean.
The Global Scholars Hall, which opens for business fall 2012, is the latest and greatest residence hall at the University, wiping the floor with the previous crown jewel, the Living Learning Center.
Walking into the Global Scholars Hall, located next to the Natural History Museum and across 15th Avenue from the dreaded Bean Complex, one is immediately hit with the scent of newness — it’s like the entire complex has been spritzed with that new-car smell.
The 187,000-square foot facility will be home to 450 students involved in the Honors College, College Scholars and language immersion programs, including those studying French, German, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese.
It boasts seven different room styles, from singles with in-suite bathrooms to six-person suites. Each floor has study rooms and lounges as well as laundry facilities — no more lugging dirty clothes down into a dingy basement.
The public areas of the building include a residential library — the only one in the country, as far as the staff can tell — with a full-time librarian. There’s a demonstration kitchen which will host local chefs and help introduce students to other cultures and soundproof practice rooms for music students.
There are five classrooms throughout the building as well as a great hall complete with stage and dressing rooms.
The Freshmarket Cafe, though, is where the Global Scholars Hall really goes above and beyond. They offer made-to-order sushi and handmade pasta from a pastamaker imported from Italy along with the bottled smoothies and sandwiches that freshmen have come to expect.