The new recreation center at the University of Minnesota doubles the size of the previous center while utilizing the original small site. The challenge of fitting the entire building program on the restricted site is resolved by stacking volumes across five floors. The revived center has rejuvenated recreation on campus and aids in student recruitment and retention.
Fitness and weight training dominate the first floor. A gradual stepping-up of the floor admits natural light to the lower level below, which contains additional weight-fitness space, a cycling studio, locker rooms and an outdoor recreation center with a climbing/bouldering wall. On the second floor, five large multipurpose rooms provide a direct connection to the recreation center’s atrium. A jogging track encircles the multipurpose spaces and soars into the atrium, affording joggers views of interior and exterior spaces. A two-court multiuse activity court occupies the fourth floor, and recreation department offices occupy the north end of the building.
Spaces provided within the new Outdoor Activities Center allow complete flexibility in the operations of the programs offered. Glass entry doors can be locked, allowing the space to function after rec center hours. The space also includes a 33-foot-tall climbing wall with more than 3,200 square feet of climbing surface and an 80-foot-long bouldering wall.
Shell Place
