Bishop James A. Griffin Student Center
Project Description
Designed to be the University’s new public face, the Student Center provides a point of connection between the campus, the community and nature. Located on a city street and beside a natural ravine, it accomplishes this connection with transparent walls of glass that allow views into and out of the building and which showcase the energy and pulse of campus life.
Project Stats
Location
Columbus, OH
Square Footage
82,000
Year of Completion
2009
Project Gallery
The Process
Upon entering the building the eye is drawn through the building, past the lounges, grille, café and terraces to the ravine beyond. The open nature of the floor plan combined with natural lighting from the clerestory windows above and the extensive glazing allow a continuous visual connection between the interior and exterior. The open plan extends to the second level with an atrium and monumental stair.
An overhead connector across a major landscaped walkway connects to the existing Alumni Hall, making a unified complex that can be shared for large University events such as graduations and speaking engagements. A new oval-shaped fitness center was added to Alumni Hall providing articulation to a formerly blank wall.