Sports Center, Lake Forest College, as built 1968, architect Edward Dart
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Lloebl Schlossman & Bennett architect Edward Dart's Lake Forest College Sports Center, 1968, remains in 2013 a central part of the College's athletic campus--with a 2010 Solomon Cordwell-designed addition north. That has a more massive presentation, where Dart's concept was self-effacing and matching residential scale above ground, even with its original over 70,000 sq. ft. of space. It had been in addition to the 1950 Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse, just west (now a hockey rink). By 2000 the offices and wieght rooms, some locker rooms, etc. were moved further west to Halas Hall, adjacent to Farwell Field. The Health Center by the late 2000s was moved west, too, to Buchanan Hall, the former LF Grad. School of Mgt. buiding. The by-then redundant north lobby area was demolished in 2009 to make way for the new rec center addition.
But Dart's remarkable original composition, a stunning example of contextual modernism (a contradiction in terms), deserves recognition for it effectiveness for four decades--a long life for an athletic facility given all the advances in fitness since 1968. And most of the building--even if upstaged by the addition--remains fully serviceable and pleasing.Photo captions:
1. From left, Lawrence O'Donnell, LF College's head of facilities/planning and a licensed architect; Edward Dart, partner Lloebl Schlossman & Bennett, project architect; and Nick Wasylik, Athletic Director--looking at a model of the Sports Center building in the lobby, north side entry.
2. A rendering of the LF College Sports Center, designed by Edward Dart, from the northwest.
3. A model of the Dart designed Sports Center, looking at the north-facing entry with the lowered east side, facing Sheridan Road--along a residential street.
4. Plan of the first floor with the lobby at the bottom (north), the pool stands on the left (south), meeting rooms at the top (north, later Tiernan room, with trophies), and on the right handball courts (west). Flanking the lobby at the bottom are a health center, left, and athletic dept. offices, right.
5. Plan of the lower level, with the pool on the left, and handball, etc. courts' floors on the right. Note that the pool area is recessed under the grade level to reduce the impact of the massing on the streetscape east.
6. Almost completed central gymnasium/assembly-hall floor, with the ceiling rising at the center to its maximum height, well back from Sheridan Road. Photo by J. Ronald Pownell.
7. The pool from the lower level and showing on the right the stands for watching meets. This was used for a scene in the ca. 1979-80 Oscar-winning film, "Ordinary People," directed by Robert Redford. Photo by Michael E. Burke.
