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Int. Architecture
PURDUE UNIVERSITY FRANCE A. CORDOVA SPORTS RECREATIONAL CENTER - West Lafayette, Indiana, 2013
Architects: Moody Nolan
Client: Purdue University
Contractor: Turner Construction Company
Photographer: James West, JWest Productions, LLC.
Project Description
Project Description
At this university, three existing antiquated and windowless boxes housing fitness, gymnasiums and aquatic spaces were turned "inside out." The new design is expressed on the exterior as light-filled volumes of glass and stone, which give the center a new, more inviting face, strongly contrasting and complementing the brick vernacular of the existing facility and campus. It is through these new elements that the sports center now establishes strong visual connections to the surrounding campus, where previously there were none. The central concourse/atrium space stitches together the existing disparate spaces, bringing natural light deep into the heart of the facility, even reaching its lowest levels. The concourse also serves as an organizing element, connecting the new east and west entrances; a monumental stair connects all five levels of the facility. In the existing 350,000 GSF existing complex, convoluted circulation corridors between windowless spaces gave no sense of way finding and no hint of activity. An outdoor track and complex crisscrossing campus utilities hemmed in the site, while opposite side parking and campus entries demanded and deserved equal attention. The competitive aquatics wing was connected only by hidden back corridors. The main parking area had only a bunker-like external turnstile entry, making the most highly used entrance both uninviting and difficult to control. The need to maintain the on-going operation of non-relocatable gyms and pools and minimize disruption to continuing services drove creation of swing space that ultimately added indoor turf spaces to the complex. A clever infill stacking of spaces within an existing courtyard and selective demolition of a central gym of the multi-building complex allowed remaining components to be reconnected by an open, airy atrium of activity and transparency. The interior design is conceptualized as "neighborhoods of activity": diverse fitness activities and varying degrees of openness and programmatic / physical overlaps. Major new spaces added to the facility include a feature gym, leisure pool, climbing and bouldering walls, a fitness pavilion on the south end, volleyball courts, a multi-activity court, a wellness suite and a demonstration kitchen. A stroll through the sports center reveals dense layering of spaces, and a transparency that sometimes appears to extend through the entire building, both horizontally and vertically (in section). Over 90% of the existing structure was salvaged and reused, and all building MEP systems were replaced with high-efficiency systems. This project is currently pursuing LEED Silver. The new entrances and image of the facility presents a unified whole inside and out, where new and old blend so seamlessly that alumni wonder where the original buildings went. Fitting the campus context like a glove, the careful composition of new and existing components now brings a vitality and connectivity to campus paths and an identifiable marker and sense of entry to the vehicular circulation and parking. Additions to each side of the facility bring a fresh face and consistent look to the final 420,000 sf complex,
replacing the windowless with a connection to campus paths and circulation.
