DAVIS HISTORY
What the UC Davis “Death Star” really is
The “Death Star” is the Social Sciences and Humanities Building, completed in 1994 and designed by architect Antoine Predock.
The building students call the “Death Star” is officially the Social Sciences and Humanities Building. It opened in 1994 and was designed by architect Antoine Predock. UC Davis says the design was intended to evoke the geological forces and landscape that formed California’s Central Valley, not a spacecraft.
1994The Social Sciences and Humanities Building is completed.
1990s onwardThe “Death Star” nickname becomes part of campus culture.
Period1994–present
EvidenceDocumented
Last checked2026-08-18
SourceUC Davis College of Letters and Science — History 1969–1999