Asking Stanford: What is the best building on campus?

“Asking Stanford” is a series of small stories from Stanford students that come together to highlight the diversity of experiences and perspectives on campus.

Roble Arts Gym  — Alaina Zhang ’27

Roble Arts Gym is my second home on campus. I started my social dance journey here in the beautiful Roble 113, where I’ve done my fair share of dances, from hip hop to waltz, and performances with Swingtime. The balcony that overlooks the studio gives it a grand view, especially at big social dance events throughout the year, where balloons and flowers decorate the staircase and railings. When it’s late, I like to look up at the stars next to the fountain. When it’s empty, I can almost see the ghosts twirling in an endless serenade. On such a STEM-focused campus, having a place where dance, music, theatre and art all come together is so precious. I associate Roble Arts Gym with the smiling faces of people immersed in the wonder of dance, and by being there, I feel myself experiencing that same joy all over again. 

CoDa — Angikar Ghosal Ph.D. ’30

The faculty offices on the upper floors are glass-doored. From outside, you can see the asymmetry. Some professors are monastic, with books arranged in shelves like the elements of the periodic table. Some of the rooms have papers everywhere, a whiteboard with something half-erased that was probably important. How many almost-proven theorems live in CoDa? How many projects and collaborations that started as a conversation and then became a decade?

From the third or fourth floor windows, you get a bird’s eye view down Jane Stanford Way — the spine of this place — and watch everyone in transit. There is something clarifying about seeing motion from above, people going somewhere important, and people who have just come from something important and are still processing it.

Downstairs at Voyager Cafe, you always catch the moment when two people who only know each other by reputation finally meet in person. The “hey!” of professional recognition, followed by the coffee order.

Witness thinking. Keep thinking.

McMurtry Terrace — Anisha Pandey ’29

If you can make the trek, there are few places as pretty (or serene) as McMurtry Terrace. Ever since I took a film class there last quarter, it has become a staple study spot in my schedule. Not only can I sunbathe and stare at Hoover Tower while lying on the rooftop after a long class, but it feels far enough from the main campus that I kind of feel like I’ve left. Just below is also Bowes Art & Architecture Library with its own stunning study spaces if I feel like locking in. And with the Cantor Arts Center mere steps away from McMurtry, I find myself feeling inspired at every corner. 

The Daily Building — Daniel Xu ’29 

Is it cliche for me to say that The Daily building is the best building on campus? Yes. Am I going to come out and say it anyway? You bet I am. The Lorry Lokey Daily Building not only has an amazing name (the alliteration! The rhythmicality) but also an amazing atmosphere: Whether you’re popping by on production night, or just looking to lock in on a Sunday evening, there is a real mix of coziness, family and a genuine feeling of belonging. For me, The Daily house is and has been a place to belong — both literally and metaphorically.

The Law School — Lily Zou ’29

The courtyard is gorgeous in the fall as leaves turn golden, then flaming-red, swirling as they fall. It’s one of my favorite study spots. I love being surrounded by law students chatting and working; they are real adults, whose concerns are far beyond mine, and they are always well-dressed.

Denning House — Megan D’Souza ’29

Though I have never been inside, I always pass Denning House on my walk back to Lakeside. I cannot help but stare at the modern architecture, built with a beautiful wooden finish. Already stunning in the daylight, the building becomes even prettier at night, its many glowing lights brightening the dark road and giving off a warmth that pulls one in. When I look at Denning House, I am transported to a future where I am isolated from the worries of the world. I can only hope to become a Knight-Hennessy Scholar one day, if not for the academics, then to live in such a beautiful building.

West FloMo — Sebastian Strawser ’29

West FloMo is the easy answer for me. For starters, I love being able to groggily walk out of my room — decked out in my pajamas and snazzy Crocs — to the dining hall without ever stepping outdoors. West FloMo’s convenience factor also extends to its relative proximity to Lakeside Dining, Tresidder and The Daily’s building on campus. It has the advantages that, say, Governor’s Corner and Wilbur do not — ease of access to the places I go. My love of West FloMo includes more than the convenience factor too. On a deeper level, West FloMo is the place I can go for a community like no other. Its RAs have never failed to be a unique presence for nurturing residential community — underscored by the iconic on-call culture and regularity of multiple RAs giving back to residents year after year. Forever and always, West FloMo will have a special place in my heart.

Bass Biology Building — Sharis Hsu ’28

I remember walking past this building and its stunning greenery during my first week on campus. It was futuristic. Fantastical. Maybe flawless. Fast forward a year or so, and it’s the building that I work in. When in doubt, I can be found on the third floor at my bench that is decorated with a signed periodic table, the 20 amino acids, and the lifecycle chart of “C. elegans.”This is the place I’ve adopted as my second home — one where I have mentors to support me, novel research to complete and plenty of failed experiments!

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