Purple project

Though still under construction, the first stand-alone academic structure on campus in over 40 years has shot up to take its
place in Mount Vernon’s skyline. And, at least for now, the building looks like it was meant to promote the school’s colors.

Once known in the industry as Barney Board, the gypsum wallboard insulating the Russell Science Center and protecting it
from moisture, mold, and mildew is made by National Gypsum and is their “premiere purple product,” according to Chris Whitmire,
the company’s product manager-gypsum systems. The same material was recently used on a major structure for another entity that
sports purple, the Minnesota Vikings’ U.S. Bank Stadium.

A Cornell purple building is a happy coincidence that will disappear as brickwork is completed on its exterior.