The Diana
The Diana Center (previously known as the Nexus, colloquially known as The Vag due to original plans to call it the "Vagelos Center") is Barnard College's student center. Built to replace the low-slung McIntosh student center, its modern glassy design was supposed to be a functional and useful answer to the useless and dysfunctional Alfred Lerner Hall. Weiss & Manfredi were the architects;[1] it was completed and opened in January 2010.
History
Naming
On Barnard Spirit Day, 2008, Bwog announced that the building would be named the "Vagelos Center" after donor Diana Vagelos BC'55. Students leapt at the opportunity to rechristen it with the unfortunate moniker of "the Vag".[2][3] The CUMB referred to it as "the Nexus-cum-Vag" during Orgo Night Spring 2008.
Possibly anticipating the unfortunate nickname, Barnard president Deborah Spar announced in April 2009 that the building would be called "The Diana", specifically referencing the virgin huntress man-hater of classical lore. In any case, there already exists a Vagelos Center at Barnard. And "The Vag" nickname seems to have stuck.
The naming rights cost $20 million.[4]
Construction
Construction began in June of 2007 with the demolition of Barnard's old student center, McIntosh. The new building was slated to open in 2009, but actually opened on January 20, 2010. A grand opening and ribbon cutting was scheduled for February 3, 2010.
