UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH GRYPHONS ATHLETICS CENTRE Guelph / Ontario / Canada
ATHLETIC PRECINCT
BACKGROUND & CONTEXT With over 20,000 students, the University of Guelph spans 412 hectares located in the City of Guelph, in southwestern Ontario, roughly 100 kilometers (62 mi) west of Downtown Toronto. The new Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre is located at the heart of the transforming Athletic and Wellness Precinct on campus. The goal of the project is to balance the needs of high performance Athletic and Varsity users, create a social and wellness hub supporting Student Campus Life, and provide a regional event centre for the surrounding community.
ALUMNI STADIUM
GRYPHONS ATHLETICS CENTRE W.F. MITCHELL CENTRE
JOHN T. POWELL BUILDING
REYNOLDS WALK
GRYPHON CENTRE
ATHLETES WAY
POWERHOUSE LANE
GRYPHON FIELD HOUSE
The evolving Athletic and Wellness Precinct Plan will transform the existing historic Powell Building, Mitchell Centre, and the Alumni Stadium, placing the newly renovated and expanded Gryphons Athletics Centre at its core. At the centre of this transformation, the Gryphons Athletics Centre renovates the existing Mitchell Centre, built in 1957, and forming a new prominent pedestrian entrance at the termination of Reynolds Walk — defining the arrival at the southwest corner of campus. The collective presence of the Powell Building, Mitchell Centre, and the Gryphons Athletics Centre is articulated to define both this sense of arrival, and defining a plaza used for gatherings, outdoor wellness programs, and casual seating, as well as an updated vehicular arrival point and drop-off for East Ring Road. The dramatic and bold new entry of the Athletics Centre helps to articulate this important outdoor space and creates an integrated and welcoming entrance to a true ‘Health and Wellness Hub’ — including Athletics, Health Services, Counseling Services, a Student Support Network, and Wellness Education Services forming a ‘Circle of Care’.
PROGRAM
AERIAL OVER EXISTING ATHLETIC PRECINCT
EXISITNG SW ENTRANCE FROM REYNOLDS WALK
EXISTING EAST SITE / EVENT CENTRE ENTRANCE
The Gryphons Athletic Centre is a two-phase expansion and renovation. The new addition is designed to allow for the operation of the existing Mitchell Centre during construction, and to contain the central lobby space that will link the new and renovated facilities in a seamless roll-out of renovated areas. The expansion includes a state-of-the art fitness centre with a club like atmosphere, a triple gymnasium / event centre with retractable bowl seating for 2,000, a running track with an additional 400 viewing spaces, student and varsity changerooms, a climbing wall, and program spaces to accommodate recreation, intramurals, fitness instruction and varsity activity, as well as student and community gathering space. A primary driver for the design was the creation of a variety of accessible ‘student spaces’ to foster social interaction and encourage exploration of the many programs available. The new build and renovations are designed to be executed in phases to allow for service continuity and resolves the control and circulation for the entire complex. The new complex satisfies the athletic and academic needs of the University and Guelph community and acts as a venue for major sporting, social gathering, cultural and conference events. It strikes the balance between high performance varsity competition and provides local campus community with on campus leisure recreation.
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1 Main Entrance (Phase 1B) 2 Reception 3 Climbing Wall 4 Lobby / Social Heart 5 Washrooms 6 Climbing Registration 7 Triple Gymnasium 8 Bleacher Storage 9 Storage 10 Team Rooms 11 Visitors Rooms 12 Universal Change Rooms 13 Womens Change Rooms 14 Mens Change Rooms 15 Steam Room 16 Administration 17 Laundry 18 Equipment Rental 19 Existing Building 20 Mechanical Room 21 Electrical Room
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PHASE 1B GROUND FLOOR PLAN 1. MAIN ENTRANCE (PHASE 1B)
8. BLEACHER STORAGE
15. STEAM ROOM
2. RECEPTION
9. STORAGE
16. ADMINISTRATION
3. CLIMBING WALL
10. TEAM ROOMS
17. LAUNDRY
4. LOBBY / SOCIAL HEART
11. VISITORS ROOMS
18. EQUIPMENT RENTAL
5. WASHROOMS
12. UNIVERSAL CHANGEROOMS
19. EXISTING BUILDINGS
6. CLIMBING REGISTRATION
13. WOMENS CHANGEROOMS
20. MECHANICAL ROOM
7. TRIPLE GYMNASIUM
14. MENS CHANGE ROOMS
21. ELECTRICAL ROOM
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1 Mezzanine Fitness 2 Strength & Conditioning Below 3 Multipurpose Room 4 Martial Arts Room 5 Storage 6 Washrooms 7 Control Room 8 VIP Room 9 Meeting Rooms 10 Gym Below 11 Lobby Below 12 Existing Building
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PHASE 1B THIRD FLOOR PLAN
SECOND FLOOR PLAN 1. EVENT ENTRANCE
8. CLIMBING WALL BELOW
1. MEZZANINE FITNESS
2. TICKET BOOTH
9. STORAGE
2. STRENGTH & CONDITIONING BELOW
9. MEETING ROOMS
3. CONCESSION
10. FITNESS CENTRE
3. MULTIPURPOSE ROOM
10. GYM BELOW
4. WASHROOMS
11. STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
4. MARTIAL ARTS ROOM
11. LOBBY BELOW
5. RUNNING/WALKING TRACK
12. ADMINISTRATION
5. STORAGE
12. ROOF OF EXISTING BUILDINGS
6. GYMNASIUM BELOW
13. NEW CONNECTION TO EXISTING BUILDINGS
6. WASHROOM
13. ELEVATOR
7. STUDENT LOUNGE
14. EXISTING BUILDINGS
7. CONTROL ROOM
8. VIP ROOM
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LANDMARK STRUCTURE The new east face of the facility has been designed to display the University of Guelph Athletics to the community and presents a large scale, bold and fluid new profile to the adjacent street.
THE COMPLEX MULTIFACETED FAÇADE AFFORDS VIEWS OF THE ACTIVITY WITHIN, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY BRANDS THE BUILDING AS THE ‘HOME OF THE GRYPHONS’.
BUDGET SENSITIVE DESIGN The new facility is completed on a low budget of $220 / sf (CAD) through a rationalization of structure and circulation, yet provides a high level of design, quality, and durability to meet the University’s mandate for excellence in design and high performance sport. Innovative branding and wayfinding utilizes the University of Guelph Gryphons logo and colour scheme, emphasizing patterns of student circulation, and providing simple and clear wayfinding throughout the complex.
‘GRYPHONS RED’ AS CIRCULATION ‘Gryphon Athletics Red’ denotes the main public circulation path, as well as the processional route of the varsity athletes — stitching together training and competition program spaces and the varsity team rooms and locker areas —
MAKING A CLEAR STATEMENT TO VISITING TEAMS THAT THEY HAVE ENTERED ‘GRYPHON TERRITORY’. The bold colour contrasts with the surrounding neutral palette of materials and finishes — providing clear wayfinding and integrated accessibility requirements for the main public route.
CAMPUS & COMMUNITY WIDE The new facility forms the centre of a wellness hub at the southeast corner of campus focusing on student engagement and containing: athletics, health and wellness education, counseling and support services, and performance training. In addition, the facility is designed to serve the broader community, facilitating access to dryland and aquatic services for lessons and summer day camps.
THE TRIPLE GYMNASIUM EVENT SPACE HAS QUICKLY BECOME A MUCH LOVED HOME TO THE GRYPHONS BASKETBALL AND VOLLEYBALL TEAMS, AND A NEW PERFORMANCE VENUE WITHIN THE CITY OF GUELPH.
MJMA (MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects) Copyright Š 2017 by MJMA All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. For more information about this project, please contact:
Amanda Chong T: 416-593-6796 ext 245 E: achong@mjma.com www.mjma.ca