Actually, what you’re seeing is the chandelier, though in a way, it’s also plumbing. Donated by the Class of ’65 and designed by Manning Lighting, the chandelier incorporates LED lights and copper tubing made in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The fixture is one of the most popular elements in the new building (which opened in 2019), according to Susan C. Cook, director of the UW’s Mead Witter School of Music. She notes that it exemplifies the UW’s ethos: “I always said that I wanted the building to be rugged — stand up to Wisconsin winters, students, etc. — and elegant!”