Designed by university architect John Galen Howard in the early 1900s, Sather Tower was built as the centerpiece of UC Berkeley’s campus master plan. Philanthropist Jane K. Sather donated $225,000 toward its construction and original bells.Completed in 1915 and opened to visitors in 1916, the 307-foot granite tower is the second-tallest freestanding clock and bell tower in the world. Its four clocks and observation deck offer sweeping views of the San Francisco Bay Area.The Campanile also houses an extraordinary collection of Ice Age fossils from California’s La Brea and McKittrick tar pits, including remains of saber-toothed cats, dire wolves and mammoths.Originally equipped with 12 bells, the tower now features a 61-bell grand carillon, expanded through alumni donations in 1978 and 1983. Today, it remains a beloved university landmark, welcoming more than 100,000 visitors annually and hosting daily carillon concerts.

Sather Tower (The Campanile), UC Berkeley

A major restoration of its bronze and steel metalwork was completed in 2009, earning a 2010 California Preservation Foundation Design Award.

Designed by university architect John Galen Howard and built by Giovanni Meneghetti. Donated by Jane K. Sather in memory of her husband, Peder Sather, it originally served as the university’s formal southern entrance.The gate features eight bas-relief panels by Professor Earl Cummings, depicting men and women representing various academic disciplines. Removed between 1910 and 1977, the panels were eventually reinstalled by 1979.

Sather Gate, UC Berkeley

Named after benefactor Charles Franklin Doe, who bequeathed funds for its construction in 1904, Doe Memorial Library is the main library of the UC Berkeley Library System. The library faces Memorial Glade at the center of campus. The building connects to the Bancroft Library and serves as the entrance to the underground Gardner Main Stacks.Doe Library houses the extensive Mark Twain Papers collection, including manuscripts, letters, photographs, sketches, and other writings by Samuel Clemens. A statue at the entrance depicts Twain holding a copy of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Sculpted by Gary Lee Price, it is sometimes mistaken for Albert Einstein.

Doe Memorial Library, UC Berkeley

The Hearst Memorial Mining Building was the first campus building designed by Howard. Construction began in 1902 as part of Phoebe Apperson Hearst’s campus development plan, as a monument to her late husband, U.S. Senator George Hearst. The Beaux-Arts and Classical Revival building combines features of classical, Mediterranean, and California mission styles, with a grand, three-story lobby crafted to resemble a mine shaft. It was dedicated in memory of her husband, mining magnate George Hearst.&nbsp;It was the new home for the College of Mining. Today, it houses UC Berkeley’s Materials Science and Engineering Department, with facilities for research and teaching across several materials science disciplines.Between 1998 and 2003, the building underwent a major renovation, expansion, and seismic retrofit. A modern addition, distinguished by its aluminum exterior, was designed to complement but remain visually distinct from the historic structure. The nearby Lawson Adit, a horizontal mining tunnel, lies directly east of the building.Called “the architectural gem of the entire UC system,” Hearst Mining is equipped with small smelters, rock crushers, drill rigs and chemical fume hoods.

Hearst Memorial Mining Building, UC Berkeley

The 8,500-seat open-air venue officially opened on September 24, 1903, with a student production of Aristophanes’ The Birds. While still under construction, it hosted a graduation ceremony in May 1903 featuring an address by President Theodore Roosevelt.

A basement backstage area was added, &nbsp;which includes a large plaza flanked by two stage-level constructions.

Inspired by the ancient Greek Theatre of Epidaurus, UC Berkeley’s Greek Theatre was built on the site of an outdoor amphitheater known as Ben Weed’s Amphitheater, which had been in use since 1894. The project was championed by University President Benjamin Ide Wheeler.Today, the Greek Theatre hosts concerts, the Berkeley Jazz Festival, graduation ceremonies, university celebrations, and distinguished speakers. The Grateful Dead performed there for the first time in 1967 and returned for a total of 29 concerts through 1989. Since 2004, Another Planet Entertainment has served as its exclusive concert promoter.Set into a natural hillside north of Bowles Hall, the Greek Theatre features a semicircular, open-air seating area oriented toward a Classical stage. Its design includes 19 rows of concrete benches, 11 aisles, and 28 carved stone chairs near the stage. Doric columns, monumental doorways, and decorative classical details give the structure its distinctive architectural character.Modeled after the ancient Greek Theatre of Epidaurus, it was designed by John Galen Howard as part of his vision for UC Berkeley’s campus. Originally known as Ben Weed’s Amphitheater, the site hosted student events beginning in 1894. With the support of University President Benjamin Ide Wheeler and funding from William Randolph Hearst, it was transformed into a permanent theatre. It became the first permanent outdoor theatre in California and the first completed project of Howard’s campus architectural plan.The theatre was first used on May 16, 1903, for President Theodore Roosevelt’s commencement address and formally dedicated on September 24 with a performance of Aristophanes’ The Birds in ancient Greek. Although Howard initially envisioned a grander marble structure seating 10,000, financial constraints led to a simpler design. A 1957 renovation by architect Ernest Born added dressing rooms, improved entrances and lighting, and a roof while preserving the building’s historic character.

The Hearst Greek Theatre in Berkeley California's Main Sign.

(The covered colonnade and the surrounding gardens were scrapped.)

Hearst Greek Theatre, UC Berkeley

Named after university president and philologist Benjamin Ide Wheeler, Wheeler Hall is a four-story Classical Revival building completed in 1917. Designed with a granite exterior and steel frame, it houses UC Berkeley’s English Department and College Writing Programs, as well as Wheeler Auditorium, the largest lecture hall on campus.Its monumental façade features nine arched entrances, a colonnaded gallery with Ionic details, decorative urns, and a classical cornice. Although the interior has undergone modifications, its exterior architectural character remains largely intact.

Wheeler Hall is prominent in this Ansel Adams photo of students changing classes

Photo by Alan Nyiri, courtesy of the Atkinson Photographic Archive

Architect John Galen Howard favored French dormer deck doors like these that look toward South Hall. They were refurbished and painted during the past year.&nbsp;(UC Berkeley photo by Keegan Houser)

Wheeler’s auditorium, rebuilt in the early 1970s following a 1969 arson fire, will be upgraded next summer.&nbsp;(UC Berkeley photo by Keegan Houser)

Wheeler Hall is named after Benjamin Ide Wheeler, UC president from 1899-1919. Wooden chairs stored in the lobby during the renewal project are below the plaque.&nbsp;(UC Berkeley photo by Keegan Houser)

The lounge for the English Department's graduate students contains a wall's worth of decades-old wooden mailboxes that are still in use today. They were left untouched by work crews.(UC Berkeley photo by Hulda Nelson)

Berkley students head out of Wheeler Hall toward the steps, an important assembly and socializing point through the mid-20th century. Tradition found men on the west side of the steps, women on the east(Bancroft Library Photo)

Inefficient, century old fans were permanently removed from Wheeler as part of the 100 year upgrade.(Photo by Lisa Laidlaw, Wheeler Hall Renewal Project)

Wheeler Hall, UC Berkeley

 The C.V. Starr East Asian Library rests in the &ldquo;classical core&rdquo; of the UC Berkeley campus. Tucked into the hillside and clad in white granite, this quiet box is layered with bronze screens, powerfully representing the building`s Asian mission. The screens unify the exterior while providing shade to the interior. Lit at night, they emerge as a golden veil, a glowing symbol of the building`s legacy in the heart of campus. The solid exterior contrasts the illuminated interior. The building`s core is open and bathed in natural light from a sculpted skylight. Stairs, cantilevered from a central, structural spine wall, rise through the space and bridges connect to stacks on either side of the atrium. Large windows create a relationship with the surrounding California landscape. Various materials bring color, warmth and texture to the interiors. The colorful and light filled space encourages the exploration of character language texts. 

C.V. Starr East Asian Library, UC Berkeley

 Site planning and landscape design links a proposed 410-unit student housing complex with the adjoining historic Anna Head School at the University of California, Berkeley. The two campuses are united in a park-like setting with a student plaza, central green and two interior courtyards. The design process addresses preserving key specimen trees, reinforcing pedestrian circulation through the site and engaging the architecture to create a seamless interface between building and landscape. With the goal of achieving a LEED Silver rating, the design incorporates water-saving native plants, reuses materials salvaged from the site, and creates a vegetated swale that captures and filters storm water runoff from the site. 

Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture

UC Berkeley

Maximino Martinez Commons

The landscape design for this LEED Gold candidate project provides a one acre park-like setting for both this cutting edge alternative energy research facility and also the community.  The $130 million project adds a significant open space to downtown Berkeley and aligns with the city of Berkeley's goals for downtown renewal.   To navigate the eleven-foot elevation change between sidewalk and building, a system of sculpted pathways carves into the landscape, creating an entry sequence through drought-tolerant native meadow planting. The undulating pattern fades in and out, suggesting grasses in the wind. Many of the grasses used in the research are also on display as part of a demonstration garden in the upper terrace.   The landscape design negotiates between the creation of a public place and the need for security with thoughtfully zoned areas for gathering.  The lower bicycle corridor and public plaza connect downtown Berkeley and the university campus.

UC Berkley

Energy Biosciences Building

Founded in 1868, UC Berkeley was the first campus of the University of California system. Berkeley offers a broad array of undergraduate and graduate programs in various fields, from engineering and computer science to liberal arts and social sciences. It's often ranked as one of the top public universities globally. Some of its scientific breakthroughs include contributions to the Manhattan Project and CRISPR-Cas9 technology. Berkeley's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has been home to many Nobel Prize winners. The campus is known for its diverse and inclusive atmosphere, with over 1,000 student organizations, clubs, and activities. The iconic Sather Tower (the Campanile) and other landmarks add to its historic charm.Its list of alumni, including Nobel laureates, MacArthur fellows, entrepreneurs, and political leaders. Some famous names include Steve Wozniak (co-founder of Apple Inc.), Eric Schmidt (former CEO of Google), and Dr. Jennifer Doudna (co-discoverer of CRISPR-Cas9). The campus boasts impressive architecture, featuring a blend of Beaux-Arts, Romanesque, and modern design styles.

University of California, Berkeley

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