As construction progresses on a $23.7 million addition to DuPont Hall, the University of Delaware is celebrating the building's heritage with a web site and a series of signs at the Mall work site. Using the theme "P.S. du Pont's UD Legacy," artist Barbara Broge of the Office of Public Relations designed the striking signs that turn the construction fencing into a grand information kiosk, and student Thomas H. Newsom designed the online presentation that details the project and benefactor and provides up-to-the-minute webcam images of the site.

Hall architect, designed the addition. Work on the addition to DuPont Hall, the original section of which was erected in 1958, is expected to be completed by March 2002.

The colorful signs and the UD web site, which can be accessed from UD's home page or at [http://www.udel.edu/ duPonthall/], outline the history of the building, highlight the many contributions P.S. du Pont made to the University, and present basic facts about the project, including the architect Allan Greenberg.

In addition to the webcam images, a QuickTime time-lapse movie shows month by month progress.

Likenesses of the signs can be found on the web site, as well, by clicking on the link for the legacy slide show. Broge, an artist who works for the Creative Services Group in the Office of Public Relations, said the project was designed "to beautify the construction fencing and to tell a story."

That story concerns the generosity of Mr. du Pont, and Broge said the construction project, combined with the fact that this is the 200th anniversary of the du Pont family's coming to America, "made it a natural to highlight P.S. du Pont's involvement with UD."

Broge said the story being told has many chapters, among them P.S. du Pont the man, his contributions, the du Pont family influence at UD, the history of DuPont Hall and the future of the new building.

"To me, it was very interesting to discover the many ways P.S. du Pont contributed to campus life, from the boldest stroke to the smallest detail," Broge said. "I wanted to show the broad scope of his interest.

"I also felt I got a little insight for what kind of man he was," she said.

Concerning the design, Broge said she wanted to use interesting historic photographs in a colorful and contemporary way. "The subject matter is pretty formal," she said, "and I had to keep in mind that the signs would be up through all seasons, so the color palette had to work with the changing surroundings."

She said she hopes the titles–each a modern catchphrase that somehow relates to text, such as "Learning Curve" and "Personal Touch"–will make people want to read the signs.

Contributing information and photographs for the signs were Richards Professor of History Carol Hoffecker, Jon Williams of the Hagley Museum and Library, and Jennifer Wallace, Jim Hageman and Jean Brown of University Archives.

Broge also made use of John Munroe's The University of Delaware: A History.

Signs are also posted at the Wolf Hall work site. That building opened in 1917 and was constructed thanks to a gift from P.S. du Pont.

Newsom, a senior in the College of Arts and Science who worked this summer in Management Information Services/Information Technologies on this and other projects, said he believed the web site should borrow some of its appearance from the signs "while at the same time having it's own unique look." He accomplished that by using a typeface similar to that used in the headlines on the various signs.

Newsom said an important design feature provides viewers "the impression that they are actually reading pages that are sliding over top of the home page." That is accomplished by using borders on all pages that are identical to those on the home page.