YMCA at CityWay

Indianapolis, IN
Construction Cost: $18 million
Area / Square Feet: 87,000
Occupancy Date: December 2015

This urban YMCA is part of a large development called CityWay that includes a hotel, retail outlets, restaurants and midrise residential towers. The design concept emphasized visual and acoustic openness. Patrons can see and hear various activities as they enter the building, as well as see them from the street through the building’s geometry and glass facade.

The YMCA houses community service facilities, as well as a medical office and retail food service tenant space. The internal circulation patterns within the first floor use midblock connectors, so patrons can easily access neighboring retail and residential services. The facility includes a lap pool, a recreational pool, three full-size basketball courts, an elevated jogging track, a large fitness area that overlooks the adjacent hotel plaza, multipurpose classrooms, yoga and cycling rooms, and child-watch and beginner-fitness areas. Several elevated, outdoor terraces and green-planted roofs complement the adjacent street-level park and pedestrian green spaces.

Inside, some functional elements were placed outside the control gates so that both members and non-members could access the community services. The café, community room and teaching kitchen all promote access for the general public. Upscale materials were used where appropriate, as were durable and easy-to-maintain finishes. Metal panel textures, warm brick tones and an overall earth-tone color scheme tie this YMCA aesthetically to the adjacent hotel and apartment exteriors.