5 Cool Facts about the UPenn Campus

#1 Gothic Style
University of Pennsylvania’s gothic architecture was designed by the Cope & Stewardson firm, who combined the architecture of Oxford and Cambridge with the local establishments to create a gothic style that is unique to UPenn.

#2 The Addams Family Connection
The demolished Blanchard Hall was rumored to be the inspiration for the gothic mansion in “The Addams Family”, but Charles Addams, the cartoonist, repeatedly denied it.

#3 Goth Green
The green serpentine stone give the college hall its unique gothic green color, which it’s famous for. The college hall is also the oldest building in West Philadelphia.

#4 The Button
The campus of UPenn has a button which is 16 ft in diameter, weighs 5,000 pounds, and is 4 ft 11 inches high . Created by Claes Oldernberg, the sculpture is in front of the Van Pelt Library. The Split represents the river, Schuylkill. It divides the button into four parts—for William Penn’s original Philadelphia squares.

#5 The Love Statue
A continuation of the iconic “Love” series by sculptor Robert Indiana, it is located on the triangular grounds of 36 Blanche Levy Park and Locust Walk. It was installed in 1998. This iconic sculptor is a bigger version of the original which is at John F. Kennedy Plaza downtown.

Compiled by Jai Dang