International House Berkeley

14 the closure. Many necessary health and safety upgrades and revised protocols were put in place during the closure, including the establishment of an isolation wing on the second floor in the space formerly occupied by the Berkeley International Office. The financial impact of closure was formidable, yet the generosity of alumni and friends enabled I-House to survive, though the challenge of rebuilding our reserves is now established as an imperative for the future. In fall 2021, after a remarkable year of upheaval, resilience, renewal, and reimagining, I-House reopened to welcome a complement of new and returning residents from 64 countries and 86 areas of study to create and experience the magic of I-House anew. I-House embarked upon a Global Community Initiative seeking to facilitate connections between alumni, and between alumni and residents, with an engagement and mentoring platform ihberkeleyconnect.org. THE LEGACY A s national frontiers blur, and as walls and curtains between nations come down, diverse peoples are being thrust together to an extent never imagined. Looking to the 21st century, International House is likely to welcome increasing numbers of students from different ethnic backgrounds and cultures for decades isolated by ideology, geographic, or religious conflict. Together, under one roof, they will join an international community and will be, like a former resident observed, forever changed: We came to grips with each other as real entities, not images on travel posters. We had to deal with the realities of our own ethnocentrisms, and not abstractly either ... one in which we were bent, hurt, delighted, enlightened, CHANGED ... in short, one in which we grew. Harry Edmonds' chance encounter with a lonely Chinese student in 1909 helped create an institution where university students from around the country and across the seas could find a vibrant international home where, as a Turkish resident states, you never feel like you are a foreigner. Now, in the tenth decade after its establishment, I-House Berkeley counts among its residents the children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews of former residents. They had heard from relatives about the Sunday Suppers, national festivals, language tables, distinguished speakers, intercultural discussions, and Coffee Hours. These I-House traditions of international fellowship will form the basis of their House memories and the stories they will tell to their children. I-HOUSE ARCHITECTURE & FURNISHINGS T he architect responsible for International House Berkeley was George W. Kelham, who played a leading role in the construction of San Francisco's Palace Hotel, Public Library, Civic Center, and Federal Reserve Bank. International House was Kelham's essay in Spanish Colonial Revival, a style chosen because it was thought to be indigenous to California. Much of the architecture and design of the House reflects the Moorish influence upon Spanish culture. Some specific reflections of Spanish influence include: the iron chandeliers in the Great Hall and dining room; the domed tower; the balconies; the dining room's sunken patio; and the extensive use of painted tile. The decorative painting and furnishings of the House also reflect a Spanish style with Moorish influences. The Great Hall's ceiling was originally hand painted to resemble the fir or pine wood ceilings commonly found in Spain. And the Home Room ceiling is said to be an adaptation of that in the anteroom to the capitular chapel in the Cathedral of Toledo, Spain. Heller Patio fountain Harry and Florence Edmonds Great Hall ceiling

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