Steven Holl Architects

Campbell Sports Center . Columbia University

Steven Holl Architects . photos: © Chris McVoy . © Iwan Baan . + baunetz

Located on the corner of West 218th street and Broadway, the Sports Center aims at serving the mind, the body and the mind/body.

above photos © Chris McVoy

above photos © Iwan Baan

The design concept, led by Steven Holl and senior partner Chris McVoy, “points on the ground, lines in space”—like field play diagrams used for football, soccer, baseball—develops from point foundations on the sloping site. Just as points and lines in diagrams yield the
physical push and pull on the field, the building’s elevations push and pull in space.
External stairs, which serve as “lines in space,” and terraces extend the field play onto and into the building and give views from the upper levels over the Baker Athletics Complex and Manhattan with the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings in the distance. At night the building is up-lit with glowing light on its Columbia-blue aluminum soffits.

The Campbell Sports Center, a five-story, 48,000 square foot facility, will house strength and conditioning spaces, offices for varsity sports, an auditorium, a hospitality suite and student-athlete study rooms.

architect
– Steven Holl Architects
Steven Holl, Chris McVoy (design architect)
Chris McVoy (partner in charge)
Olaf Schmidt (associate in charge)
Marcus Carter, Christiane Deptolla, Peter Englaender, Runar Halldorsson, Jackie Luk, Filipe Taboada, Dimitra Tsachrelia, Ebbie Wisecarver (project team)