Queen’s College reconstruction sparks debate over architectural vision

Dr. Terrence Richard Blackman, a mathematician and professor at Medgar Evers College, has raised concerns regarding the architectural design of the new west wing at Queen’s College in Guyana. While acknowledging that the original structure was demolished because it was structurally unsafe, Blackman argues that the replacement building lacks the inspirational qualities of the former site.

In an essay published in the Guyana Business Journal, Blackman critiques the new three-storey structure, describing it as having a flat white exterior and small, regularly spaced windows. He contends that the design fails to communicate a sense of possibility to students. He contrasts this with the original classrooms along Thomas Road, which featured large banks of windows facing the Atlantic. Blackman suggests these windows provided a vital, non-curricular lesson by connecting students to the horizon and the world beyond the school walls.