Montana State University has opened its newest residence hall. Hyalite Hall will see its first residents on August 10 when MSU’s Move-In Week begins.

According to a press release from MSU, the $50 million project was funded through bonds that will be paid from room and board revenues. No Legislature-appropriated tax dollars were used for the project.

Montana State University
Montana State University
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Hyalite Hall is a two-wing building with six floors mostly housing freshmen students in its 510 beds. The hall was designed to be open on the first floor and in the common areas, giving the lounges a welcoming feel. To promote diversity and inclusion, there are two gender-neutral bathrooms per floor, one in each wing.

Montana State University
Montana State University
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Hyalite Hall is located along College Street just west of 11th Avenue.

Montana State University
Montana State University
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Tom Stump, associate vice president of MSU Auxiliary Services, said;

Community, Hyalite and Neighbor are what we tried to reflect in its design and location on campus. Hyalite Hall is the first major building to welcome visitors to MSU off College Street from the west. We want it to be seen as a bridge between the MSU and Bozeman communities, fostering an environment of respect and teaching our residents to be good stewards of the land and to our neighbors across the street.

An important concept in building Hyalite Hall was making sure each wing was conjoined and that students would not feel separated. Each floor shares a connector space with areas for students to sit, study and build a sense of community.

Montana State University
Montana State University
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The building’s focal point is its “lantern wall,” an acrylic wall that runs up the middle of the building through all six floors and is back lit, making it visible from the outside.

Images of the Hyalite Canyon area run up the east side of the wall with a different picture depicting an activity on each floor. The activities range from what you can do at the lowest elevation, like fishing, and ascends with the elevation. On the sixth floor, a picture depicts the summit of Hyalite Peak. On the west side of the wall, each floor has a different picture of waterfalls in Hyalite Canyon ordered from lowest elevation to highest.

Montana State University
Montana State University
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