5 /5 Charles Cooper: Erected in 1877, this building was once the home of Savannah financier and cotton broker Thomas M. Butler. The historic structure was converted into offices for an insurance company in the early 1960s and later housed a law firm. The building was acquired by SCAD in 2002.
Located across from Forsyth Park, the Hall has a marble foyer, a cast-iron staircase, wood inlay floors, marble mantels, and leaded glass windows. The symmetrical facade features Palladian windows, Ionic columns on the main entrance, and other classical elements that reflect a Beaux Arts influence.
Lai Wa Hall houses the presidents office and executive administration, and is named for Dr. Chan Lai Wa, a distinguished entrepreneur, diplomat, patroness of the arts, and long serving member of SCADs Board of Trustees and who was named to TIME magazines annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2012.
