Built on the shores of Lake Michigan in Evanston, Ill., the Ryan Fieldhouse opened to Northwestern University students in April. Now, the Walter Athletics Center, which is connected to the Ryan Fieldhouse and was also designed by Perkins+Will, has opened as well.
The four-story Walter Athletics Center houses academic and professional development support services for more than 500 student athletes, a nutrition center and dining facility, two sports performance centers, a sports medicine and athletic training hub, sport-specific locker rooms for eight varsity teams, and office space for coaches and administrators. Additionally, the building includes a three-story LED screen with images of Northwestern’s 19 athletic programs, interactive touchscreens throughout, and wall panels with black and white images of athletes in action.
Exterior from North. James Steinkamp/James Steinkamp Photography.
A covered terrace wraps around the eastern and southern facades of the new facility to visually connect the building to the Chicago Skyline. The south and east sides of the Center overlook the outdoor football practice field and the soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey stadium.
See Also: New living/learning facility at the University of Illinois at Chicago breaks ground
A major goal of the new facility was to integrate student athletes more completely into campus life. The Center brings remote training facilities to the main campus, all near residence halls and classroom buildings. Separate, secure entrances were designed to accommodate different users such as football and Olympic sports athletes, visitors for events, staff, faculty, administration, and coaches.
Perkins+Will designed the space in collaboration with HOK. Also on the Build team was SmithGroup (civil engineer and landscape architect), WSP USA (structural engineer), and AEI Affiliated Engineers (mechanical engineer).
Ryan Fieldhouse from Southeast corner. James Steinkamp/James Steinkamp Photography.
South lobby of Walter Athletics Center. James Steinkamp/James Steinkamp Photography.
Olympic Sports Corridor. James Steinkamp/James Steinkamp Photography.
Related Stories
| Sep 10, 2013
BUILDINGChicago eShow Daily – Day 2 coverage
The BD+C editorial team brings you this real-time coverage of day 2 of the BUILDINGChicago/Greening the Heartland conference and expo taking place this week at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza.
| Sep 4, 2013
Smart building technology: Talking results at the BUILDINGChicago/ Greening the Heartland show
Recent advancements in technology are allowing owners to connect with facilities as never before, leveraging existing automation systems to achieve cost-effective energy improvements. This BUILDINGChicago presentation will feature Procter & Gamble’s smart building management program.
| Aug 30, 2013
Modular classrooms gaining strength with school boards
With budget, space needs, and speed-to-market pressures bearing down on school districts, modular classroom assemblies are often a go-to solution.
| Aug 26, 2013
What you missed last week: Architecture billings up again; record year for hotel renovations; nation's most expensive real estate markets
BD+C's roundup of the top construction market news for the week of August 18 includes the latest architecture billings index from AIA and a BOMA study on the nation's most and least expensive commercial real estate markets.
| Aug 22, 2013
Energy-efficient glazing technology [AIA Course]
This course discuses the latest technological advances in glazing, which make possible ever more efficient enclosures with ever greater glazed area.
| Aug 14, 2013
Green Building Report [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Building Design+Construction's rankings of the nation's largest green design and construction firms.
| Jul 29, 2013
2013 Giants 300 Report
The editors of Building Design+Construction magazine present the findings of the annual Giants 300 Report, which ranks the leading firms in the AEC industry.
| Jul 19, 2013
Reconstruction Sector Construction Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Structure Tone, DPR, Gilbane top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest reconstruction contractor and construction management firms in the U.S.
| Jul 19, 2013
Reconstruction Sector Engineering Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
URS, STV, Wiss Janney Elstner top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest reconstruction engineering and engineering/architecture firms in the U.S.
| Jul 19, 2013
Reconstruction Sector Architecture Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Stantec, HOK, HDR top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest reconstruction architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the U.S.
