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DAVIS HISTORY

Why the Death Star is called the Death Star

UC Davis officially recognizes the building’s popular “Death Star” nickname, but the nickname is campus culture rather than the architect’s stated design concept.

“Death Star” is a popular campus nickname for the Social Sciences and Humanities Building. UC Davis documents the nickname, while the architect’s stated concept was very different: Antoine Predock used the Sacramento Valley and the geological uplift of California’s landscape as design inspiration. Explanations tying the nickname to the building’s fortress-like, metallic and maze-like feel are part of campus tradition rather than the official design brief.

1994The building opens with a landscape-inspired design by Antoine Predock.
After openingStudents and the campus community popularize the “Death Star” nickname.
Period1994–present
EvidenceStrongly supported
Last checked2026-08-18
SourceUC Davis College of Letters and Science — History 1969–1999
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