While it has become a running joke that Thomas More College's Academic Building is the ugliest building in existence, it actually has an interesting architectural and aesthetic story. If you have any knowledge of the history of architecture, TMC is actually pretty interesting. The main academic building was built in 1968 and actually can be seen as a bit of a transitional piece. The style that first comes to mind is probably "Brutalism", a style popular in the early 70s known for its emphasis on heavy imposing building, using a lot of concrete. The best example of this is probably the NKU's 1972 Nunn Hall.
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| Notice the minimal windows, brutalism was not meant to be inviting but imposing. |
Now compare this with TMC's main building, built only 4 years prior.
Certainly the scale of TMC was much smaller, but it also shows a few influences from mid-century modern, such as the distinctive roof on the library that seemingly floats on glass. Mid century modern architecture often emphasized unique angles and seemingly gravity defying architecture that is seen here. The architects of TMC actually were honored for their work! Here is an interesting article about their intentions with the buildings' designs....
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