Demolition on UCLA’s Engineering 1A building began this morning, with a wrecking ball swinging into the building and exposing pillars and chunks of concrete.
The tearing-down will continue through this week, clearing the way for the construction of a new research facility, said Wileen Kromhout, spokeswoman for the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science.
After a mid-morning break, the wrecking ball began swinging again, attracting small groups of sightseers.
“It took five to six years to build this and it will only take like a month to get down,” said Mike Lawson, a geology doctoral student who came to watch the demolition.
Lawson, who used to buy supplies from the engineering shops located on the first floor of the building, said he was attracted by the idea of demolition. The wrecking ball is the opposite of the work he does building space engines, he said.
“We do a lot of work keeping things together, so it is interesting to see something being taken apart,” Lawson said.
While many were merely fascinated by the sight, others had memories of working or taking classes in the now partially torn-down building.
“I had discussion in Engineering I and I didn’t like it,” said Vincent Heng, a third-year chemical engineering student. “It’s not that nice of a building. I’m glad to see it go.”
Heng called his friend, biology graduate student Jason Ang, after seeing the rubble on the way to his research job.
The two were among a small congregation of people getting an aerial view of the wreckage from the bridge connecting Engineering IV and V.
“We might grab lunch and come back here to keep watching,” Ang said, laughing.
The building that will eventually take Engineering 1A’s place, Engineering VI, will be dedicated to research in green energy, personalized health care, sustainability and clean water.
Its amazing how quickly a demolition happens. I don ‘t know why it is so exciting but everybody usually wants to part of it.