International House Berkeley

4 International House Times Harry Edmonds F ostering intercultural respect, understanding, and lifelong friendships to promote a more peaceful world has been International House Berkeley's mission for almost 90 years. How does one design and construct a building that would support such an inspiring mission and withstand the test of time? is was the challenge facing Harry Edmonds, the founder of the International House movement. e success of the first International House in New York enabled Edmonds to secure significant financial support from John D. Rockefeller Jr. to look for a location and to establish a second I-House. Berkeley was selected in 1926 because the Bay Area was the U.S. point of entry from Asia and claimed the largest number of foreign students on the West Coast. e site was also chosen because it looked to the Pacific, just as I-House New York looked to the Atlantic. It was envisioned as the largest co-ed dormitory west of the Hudson River. Many protested the shocking plan to house students under a policy of racial integration, as well as to house students from other lands, not to mention men and women together under one roof. Edmonds sought to build I-House in the most conspicuous and influential location possible to counter such prejudice and racism. e site next to Memorial Stadium was chosen because it was at the nexus of the many fraternity and sorority houses on Piedmont Avenue, which at that time excluded foreigners and people of color. In those early days, I-House became the most prominent building at UC Berkeley other than the Campanile. e iconic dome has served as a symbol of I-House's values ever since. Edmonds hired architect George W. Kelham who was responsible for many buildings on the UC Berkeley campus and in San Francisco. Kelham and Edmonds decided, through the influence of Mrs. Abigail Rockefeller, to design I-House Berkeley based on a Spanish Colonial Revival style. is style was reflective of California history, and was popular in Santa Fe and Santa Barbara. e architectural details are what make I-House truly stunning. e Moorish influence upon Spanish culture is illustrated in the extensive ironwork featured in the chandeliers and staircase railings. e distinctive domed tower, balconies, the sunken Heller Patio and the extensive painted tile that adorns drinking fountains, stairs and floors throughout the building are amazing. Yet it is the intricately hand-painted ceilings and moldings, above the common spaces of the building, adapted from cathedrals in Spain, that are the crowning glory of the interior design. John D. Rockefeller Jr. Building a Foundation for Global Fellowship

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