Winthrop University

Built in 1939 by the Works Project Administration, Byrnes Auditorium has been a center of Winthrop University campus activity and an integral part of cultural life in Rock Hill for more than 85 years. As part of its ongoing maintenance responsibilities, the university was in the process of replacing a roof when a small fire on the roof caused smoke and water damage throughout the auditorium. While planned interior upgrades had been anticipated in their maintenance program, the fire necessitated a new look at their scope of work.

The resulting work upgraded outdated systems and functional areas, improved accessibility, restored plasterwork and enhanced previously overlooked decorative elements of the interior. The jury was impressed by years of ongoing maintenance and the sensitive response to an unexpected crisis in selecting this project.