Fairfield University Unveils New Convocation Center

CENTERBROOK, CT – Fairfield University has unveiled a new multipurpose on-campus arena called the Convocation Center, designed by Centerbrook Architects & Planners.

The 3,500-seat facility will serve as the home for the Fairfield basketball and volleyball teams, as well as host concerts, commencements, and other larger on-campus events.

Fairfield University Convocation Center 500

The lower bowl is designed to seat approximately 2,400. A second deck will hold around 1,100, highlighted by The Stag Club, which offers premium seating and hospitality for 150. The design provides unobstructed views from the concourse on both levels. Its 85,000-square-feet also houses locker rooms, a film room, lounge, training rooms, staff offices, and numerous support spaces.

Designed to be modern yet contextual, the estimated $45-million Convocation Center will provide a dramatic arrival with a transparent front entrance that reveals the building’s interior. Natural light enters from three sides of the arena through ample glass that complements the brick façade, which blends with the campus palate. The curved roof is a nod to the current Alumni Hall and many mid-century arenas.

The Convocation Center will replace the 2,500-seat Alumni Hall, which has played host to Fairfield athletics and campus events since 1959. Following its demolition, construction of the new facility is projected to commence in the spring of 2020 and span 18-24 months.

 

Featured

  • CU-Lock Haven Receives $1.75M Gift for New Entrepreneurship, Media Center

    Commonwealth University-Lock Haven in Lock Haven, Penn., recently received a $1.75-million donation from entrepreneur and alumnus Nicholas Subich ’17, according to a university news release. The funds will go toward establishing the Nicholas Subich Center for Entrepreneurship and Media, a technology-driven hub for innovation and experiential learning.

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • Wold Architects & Engineers Announces Acquisition of JJCA

    Wold Architects & Engineers, based in Minneapolis, Minn., recently announced that it has acquired JJCA, an architecture firm based in Nashville, Tenn., according to a press release. JJCA specializes in healthcare and education design; the partnership allows both firms to expand their presence across the country while building on existing strengths.

  • Doerr School of Sustainability Accelerator

    From Concrete Warehouse to Innovation Hub: Accelerating Sustainability at Stanford

    The transformation of a once windowless, concrete publishing warehouse into a sun-drenched center for global innovation began with a single, fundamental challenge: how to turn an industrial storage shell into a space built for human connection.