LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Do we need all that hard, cold, steel and glass?

As I looked at the pictures of the new Ohio State University hospital and concert hall, it struck me that the powers that be care far more about buildings of hard, cold, steel and glass honoring the wealthy legacies than to serve the folks who are supposed to benefit from them.

Looking at the new hospital is a chilling experience. It is about as welcoming as any giant corporate headquarters. Personal experience at OSU in times of illness has taught me that “feats of engineering” are cold, scary, stressful, and frustrating.

Miles of walking from a distant parking lot, long lines to get checked in, and hordes of people make the idea of going there terrifying, especially when sick. No amount of steel, glass, picture windows, or 75’’ TV’S offer me the warmth, or comfort I crave when I am ill.

Who do they think will appreciate and attend classical musical concerts in a $275 million music hall in the future? We don’t have enough money in education to teach the arts, especially music.

Without a solid grounding not many of our children will not even know, understand, or enjoy the classics. It is too small for the monster Swift-style shows and too big for intimate performances.

What happens to it when it is sitting empty for months at a time?

Has Columbus forgotten that the city’s best attributes are its friendliness, welcoming and caring for each other, not expensive architecture that ignores what we truly need? Our humanity.

Melissa L. Lavanchy, Columbus

Small is better

Re “50M gift to help fund OSU medical tower,” Feb. 20: The massive new Ohio State hospital is a gigantic expensive monstrosity built for yesterday’s medical care. As a patient I much prefer a smaller patient centric center closer to home that is geared to individualistic attention instead of a massive edifice where millions of germs can congregate under one roof.

Michael Oser, Columbus