Add as a preferred source on Google

Washington University: Francis Field House

  • 05/01/18
Washington University

PHOTOS © HASTINGS+CHIVETTA ARCHITECTS, INC. / FENTRESS PHOTOGRAPHY

Washington University’s historic Francis Field House has been transformed by Hastings+Chivetta Architects and Bohlin Cywinski Jackson into a 21st-century fitness, athletic, and recreation center. Built in 1902, Francis Field House is a registered historical landmark and was the site of the 1904 Olympic Games. The new LEED Gold Gary M. Sumers Recreation Center, created through an addition and renovation to the Field House, is an innovative facility that honors its historic legacy.

The original entry to the Field House was restored as the main access point from the expanded facility. All floors in the “head house” were removed, creating a multi-story space through which a 16-foot-long bridge, surfaced with hardwood salvaged from the original gymnasium floor, connects old and new and serves as the primary control point for day-to-day users. A multi-story fitness center is the heart of the plan, surrounded by multipurpose lounge and support spaces, with direct access to all other components of the facility. A new three-court gymnasium with track was added to the south with athletic locker rooms and meeting and training spaces below.

Floor-to-ceiling windows, skylights, and clerestories provide ample daylight that permeates the facility. Articulated wood surfaces with reveals between panels are a subtle and sophisticated incorporation of the university’s red color. A dramatic art installation covers the interior entrance wall. The recreation gym features the largest stained wood gym floor in the Midwest, which celebrates the significant history and location of the university in St Louis, MO.

Both the new addition and a 1980s Athletic Complex addition were wrapped in a glass-enclosed colonnade featuring masonry piers capped with Indiana limestone and aluminum panel details, thus preserving the architectural and visual integrity of the original Field House.

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management May 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Kimball International Launches New Furniture for K–12 Classrooms

    Commercial furnishings company Kimball International recently announced the launch of four new products designed for a variety of professional environments, including K–12 schools, according to a news release.

  • Los Angeles City College Breaks Ground on New Administration, Workforce Building

    Los Angeles City College (LACC) in Los Angeles, Calif., recently broke ground on a new $72-million administrative facility, according to a news release. The Cesar Chavez Administration and Workforce Building will stand four stories, cover 67,230 square feet, and play home to a wide variety of the school’s educational and administrative services.

  • Different Starting Points, Same End Goal

    Higher education campuses can enhance student experience by implementing mobile credentials to streamline building access, on-campus payments, and access to other amenities. This enables students to connect to their campuses through the technology they use most: their mobile devices.

  • North Dakota State University Completes Music School Renovation

    North Dakota State University in Fargo, N.D., recently announced that construction on the Challey School of Music has finished, according to a news release. The university partnered with Foss Architecture & Interiors for design and Kraus-Anderson for construction services, and construction began in July 2024.

Digital Edition