December 06, 2023
Source/Villanova University
The rendering above shows Villanova University's planned Vic Maggitti Hall, the future home of Falvey Library. Kennedy Hall will be demolished to clear space for the new building, which is expected to be finished in early 2027.
Villanova University will knock down one of its central buildings next year to clear space for a new $150 million library building.
Kennedy Hall, which houses the school bookstore and administrative offices, will be demolished next summer. It was built in 1968. Its replacement – Vic Maggitti Hall, which will become new home of Falvey Library – is expected to open in the winter of 2027.
The five-story library building is intended to bolster Villanova's standing as a national research institution. One floor will include a writing center, tutoring hub and support services. The building also will have events and programming spaces, areas that highlight the library's rare collections, and a dedicated section for graduate students.
"Falvey Library's new home in Vic Maggitti Hall will be transformative, enabling even greater support for the current and future needs of Villanova’s academic community," said Millicent Gaskell, university librarian and director of Falvey Library. "It will be a modern, welcoming space for our students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends to come together as they advance their intellectual pursuits."
The 150,000-square-foot building, designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, will have a large atrium at the main entrance as students enter from Riley Ellipse. The project received a $20 million gift from Maggitti, an alumn who heads the King of Prussia-based construction supply company Vimco Inc.
The current library building, located west of Kennedy Hall, will be renovated and have some of its facilities repurposed once Vic Maggitti Hall is completed, a university spokesperson said. Details about that project will be shared at a later time.
