By combining planning and design to meet both indoor and outdoor athletic needs, the University of Oklahoma has successfully created a consolidated practice and event center. A central entry plaza and athlete support spaces equally serve indoor and outdoor track events, as well as events staged within a new indoor athletic training center that features a 100-yard football field. The central plaza also provides a destination point along the game-day tailgating path from parking areas to Memorial Stadium.
For onsite spectator events, new rest-room and concessions spaces are marked by a tower that identifies the entry and plaza area, and that also serves as the entry lobby to dedicated track and football field houses. New bleachers overlook the completely rebuilt outdoor track and field venue, while architecturally relating to the huge mass of the neighboring indoor football field house. The mass of the latter structure is further softened by its curved roof and clerestory windows.Matching brick used both on the football field house and in the track seating area ties the complex together with the existing track field house, the existing dark metal siding of which accents the lighter colored cladding used on the larger football building.
The infill synthetic-turf field appropriately dominates the football practice facility’s interior, which is bathed in indirect natural light.
Yawkey Athletics Center Boston College
