Building a 21st Century University Hospital

"Topping-Off" the 10-Story Patient Pavilion

Our new 10-story patient pavilion is making tremendous progress and the final steel beam, signed by thousands of Cooper employees, has been placed atop the structure. Cooper Trustees and employees cheered during the ceremonial lifting of the beam on August 14, 2007. The beam held a tree symbolizing growth and luck, a Cooper banner, and a brick from the Sarah Cooper building that had previously occupied the construction site, all representing the joining of Cooper’s past and future.

History of the "Topping-Off" Ceremony
The practice of "topping-off" a new building can be traced to the ancient Scandinavian religious practice of placing a tree on the top of a new building to appease the tree-dwelling spirits of their ancestors that had been displaced. The practice migrated to England with Scandinavian invaders and took root there.

Today, a non-religious but formal ceremony is often held to commemorate this milestone in the construction of a building. All tradesman on the job usually join in the celebration as well as the supervisors, representatives of the architecture and engineering firms, the owner or representatives of the owning organization, donors, and any VIPs that are invited.