This event was long awaited, discussed, and prepared for. Several generations of students enrolled and graduated while the main architectural symbol of the Belarusian National Technical University was undergoing a large-scale transformation. The wait is over: on Tuesday, September 1, the legendary Building 15 – completely reimagined and high-tech – will once again be operational. The "boat" is ready to welcome a new team of future builders, architects, transport workers, and power engineers.
The meaning of the return of Building 15 to service is best expressed by those for whom it was reconstructed. Future builders, for example, appreciate the scale of the reconstruction with particular professional pride. For fourth-year student Maria Staroverova, the building's opening is a long-awaited event, one she didn't immediately believe would happen:
"I enrolled when the 'little ship' was already undergoing renovations. I read about the first escalators, saw photos of the huge corridors, but I couldn't even imagine it as an academic building. Honestly, I didn't believe it would open before my graduation, until the rector made the official promise on stage in the spring. Now I'm scrolling through the news, looking at the photos, and the emotion is simply 'wow!' This feels like a true triumph for the Civil Engineering Faculty. I feel like a first-year student, wondering what it's like to study in such an environment. And I kindly envy the new students: they immediately find themselves in a stunningly equipped building five minutes from the dorms. I'm sure the new coworking spaces and atmosphere will greatly enhance the students' interest in science and projects."
For future architects, a visual environment and comfort are not just a bonus, but a crucial source of inspiration. Fifth-year FA student Polina Khokhlova is thrilled to have the chance to enjoy this atmosphere before graduation:
"I'm incredibly excited and thrilled to have the opportunity to study for a full year in a new, bright building. For us architects, the visual environment directly influences our mood and perception of information. Although I'll greatly miss the main building and its picturesque courtyard, such a dramatic change of scenery is very motivating and gives me renewed energy for working on projects."
Some students have already explored the building from top to bottom before the official opening. One of them, third-year FA student Anton Kharevich, is currently working as part of a student team, preparing the classrooms for September 1st with his own hands:
"This is a very unusual experience: I'm helping tidy up and assemble furniture in a place where I'll be sitting at a desk myself in just a week!" I live in Dormitory 19, and the "boat" is visible right from my window. I watched the renovation work from the window, and now I have to walk there for class, spending just five minutes. The building is incredibly impressive: it's bright and spacious, with excellent elevators, a library, and renovated labs. I'm really looking forward to when these beautiful spaces fill with student life. And, of course, I'm hoping for delicious food in the cafeteria!
When everything you need is gathered under one roof, you can avoid distractions and focus on what matters most—studying. Stepan Saakyan, a second-year student in the Faculty of Computer Science, is confident that the new space will set an excellent tone for the entire educational process:
"I had a chance to see the inside when I was helping my department move. I'm really looking forward to classes starting and I'm sincerely happy for my classmates. Now they won't have to waste time commuting between classes from the Academy of Sciences to the Borisovsky Trakt station—everything they need will be in one place." I'm confident that such comfortable and modern conditions created by the state for students will greatly increase their motivation to take a more responsible approach to their studies and will certainly attract even more motivated students to our university. I myself will be delighted to study here!
The renovations are behind us, giving way to the new academic year. Soon, the renovated "boat" will once again be filled with student voices, and its classrooms will be awash with true engineering creativity!
