As you walk through the Brickyard this fall, you’ll notice a foreign object, but rest assured it’s not from outer space. It’s the Brickyard Bubble, a rectangular-shaped temporary seating area that will be in place for the 2010-2011 academic year.
This week, the construction crew has fenced off an area for the Bubble’s new home in the Brickyard, near the Atrium. They’ve started to frame the temporary seating area, which appears larger with the fencing in place. The 50×80 foot rectangular enclosure is being delivered July 12 and will be installed over the next few weeks.
Why a temporary seating area? Since the Atrium is being renovated in phases to ensure continuous food service, we needed to provide an external place for our patrons to sit down to eat. The temporary seating area will keep everyone comfortable and safe year-round. It is equipped with heating and air as well as a sprinkler system.
Take a virtual stroll through the Brickyard below via our slideshow. You’ll see a mound of upturned bricks in the pictures. Construction crews are laying utility wires, but the bricks will be back in place soon.
The bubble slideshow

