Under construction since the fall of 2008, for many Penn State students, the Millenium Science Complex has been a part of their campus experience since freshman year. After nearly three years, however, the building is set to be completed by the end of the summer.

Measuring in at 275,000 square feet, the building has been coined the “Millenium Falcon” by many due to its monstrous size. The building will be strictly research based, and no formal classes will be offered here. The building is intended to breed interdisciplinary efforts between the Life Sciences and Material Sciences fields. The building is connected by an underground tunnel to the existing Life Sciences building. Also housed underground are specialized vibration-reducing labs, created for high-precision imagery.

Thanks to OPP team members Blaire Malcolm and Dick Tenner, as well as Whiting-Turner member Terry Lucero, I was able to take a look around the building and offer a sneak peak of this enormous facility.

View of the plaza from the lobby entrance.

Lobby entrance from the plaza.

Large lobby area and kitchen at the intersection of the wings on the second floor.

Southeast view from the intersection lobby.

Office corridor in eastern wing.

Plaza view from conference break-out room.

One of the facility’s many laboratories.

Corridor connecting a series of labs.

One of the building’s many areas of green roof.

For more photos, check out the complete album on our Facebook page.