| COVER STORY| WRITTEN BY | STEVE ANSEL, AIA or its first 87 years, project is the University of $400 million endeavor and the University of Notre Dame’s (UND’s) larg- led the programming, plan- CAMPUS Notre Dame Stadium est construction project in ning and design through Fprovided a spectacu- the school’s 178-year history. construction of the Cam- CROSSROADS lar venue on six gamedays Opening in fall 2017 and pus Crossroads project. each year. When those fully occupied by spring The project provides a games ended, the stadium 2018, Campus Crossroads is vibrant new face to the EXPANDS ON emptied, the gates were made up of three new ad- southeast side of campus locked and this part of jacent buildings anchored while inspiring a collabora- THE LEGACY OF campus fell silent. The In- to the south, east and west tive and multidisciplinary diana university sought to sides of the stadium— approach to education NOTRE DAME change that with Campus O’Neill Hall, Corbett Family and research amongst Crossroads; the project Hall and Duncan Student students and faculty. These STADIUM would bring academics and Center, respectively. new buildings add more student life to the stadium Working alongside a than 800,000 square feet PHOTOS: MATT CASHORE PHOTOGRAPHY while improving the game- diverse team of industry to the campus, designed to unless otherwise noted day experience. partners, The S/L/A/M Col- attract students to the area Four years in the mak- laborative (SLAM) was the year-round to participate in ing, the Campus Crossroads executive architect for this many activities, including 24 RETROFIT // March-April 2020 academics, research, student UND, SLAM was selected to identify the departments that program, a music library, class- life, fitness, digital media, lead the design team for a fea- would belong in the Campus rooms and rehearsal halls, mu- performance, meetings, events sibility study on the Campus Crossroads project. sic departmental offices, and and hospitality, strengthening Crossroads project that began The study rendered the “big practice and teaching studios. the stadium’s connectivity to in the summer of 2013. SLAM idea” of successfully integrat- The Foley’s Club provides hos- the surrounding campus. engaged university leadership, ing academic and campus life pitality space for gameday, as administration, faculty, athlet- with an enhanced gameday well as receptions and events ENVISIONING CAMPUS ics, academics and student experience. throughout the year. CROSSROADS affairs in determining what The three new buildings On the east side of the sta- SLAM’s 20-year relation- programs belonged in the of the Campus Crossroads dium is the 9-story academic ship with UND spans several Campus Crossroads project project bring together diverse building, Corbett Family Hall, groundbreaking projects that while ensuring the entities disciplines to engage in an ex- which includes the Martin Dig- revived Notre Dame’s heritage were reflected in the univer- perience they couldn’t achieve ital Media Center; the depart- of signature collegiate gothic sity’s strategic goals. An initial alone. ments of anthropology and architecture, including the Eck list of 20 academic and non- O’Neill Hall, on the south psychology; facilities for press Center, Coleman-Morse, Jordan academic departments, includ- side of the stadium, is a and radio; and the Downes Hall of Science and the Notre ing student life, recreational 6-story, state-of the-art music Club hospitality space, which Dame Law School. sports and career services, were facility and includes perfor- serves as a 100-seat classroom As a trusted partner of considered. SLAM helped to mance halls, the Sacred Music on non-gamedays. retrofi tmagazine.com // RETROFIT 25 THE DESIGN TEAM REUSED WEATHERED REDWOOD BENCHES FROM THE STADIUM BOWL—WITH ORIGINAL SEAT NUMBERS INTACT—ALLOWING VISITORS TO TOUCH 90 YEARS OF NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL HISTORY. The Duncan Student garage support gameday and of the original stadium, they the length of the façades. Center, on the west side of the other events. derived inspiration from that Contrasting stone details stadium, stands 9 stories and Year-round use is evidenced structure. are used at the base, copings incorporates gameday with by non-gameday activities SLAM studied the original and windowsills. A distinctive student life and hospitality occurring in the hospitality building’s drawings to under- geometric ornamental detail spaces. It is the heart of the and club spaces located within stand the key design elements is located at the top of the greatest concentration of daily the new buildings, where they of the Rockne-era stadium. projecting pilasters. academic activity for students extend above the rim of the These characteristics include: The original stadium and faculty. The Danhke stadium bowl. A repetition of three-win- included tower elements mark- Ballroom serves as a club on dow bays marked with strong ing key entrances with a subtle gameday and a student-affairs DESIGN projecting vertical pilasters evolution of the typical bay ballroom on non-gamedays Knute Rockne, the great coach and deeply recessed windows, details seen in the rest of the and is juxtaposed to other who established the national creating a lively shade and structure. student-life spaces within the reputation of Notre Dame shadow effect on each element At Notre Dame, there is a Duncan Student Center, includ- football, convinced the uni- of the façade. characteristic campus palette ing the Student Center, the versity to build the stadium, In each bay, tall windows created by a buff blended brick Smith Center for Recreational which was completed in 1930. are capped with arches. Above used on the university’s origi- Sports and the Meruelo Family Although the new buildings of the arched windows is a para- nal buildings (the brick was Career Center. A large com- the Campus Crossroads project pet that features a frieze of made of the clay dug from the missary kitchen and trucking did not replicate the elements vertical niches, repeated along lakes on campus). That blend ROBERT BENSON PHOTOGRAPHY ROBERT PHOTO: THERE ARE MANY INTERIOR SPACES THAT SOUGHT INSPIRATION FROM NOTRE DAME’S HERITAGE AND ARE ALSO MEANT TO UNIFY WITH THE NEW EXTERIORS. THESE RANGE FROM THE MONUMENTAL DANHKE BALLROOM (LEFT) TO MORE INTIMATE SPACES, SUCH AS THE O’NEILL HALL LOBBIES (RIGHT). 26 RETROFIT // March-April 2020 GREEN ROOFS ADORN THE NEW BUILDINGS THAT ARE ANCHORED TO THE SOUTH, EAST AND WEST SIDES OF THE STADIUM. ORIGINAL 1930S GLAZED BRICK WAS METICULOUSLY SALVAGED AND USED THROUGHOUT THE RENOVATED HOME TEAM LOCKER ROOM. CUSTOM MILLWORK, LOCKERS, FLOORING AND WALL PANELS WERE DESIGNED TO EVOKE THE ROCKNE ERA. retrofitmagazine.com // RETROFIT 27 1930s BEFORE PHOTOS: UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME NOTRE DAME FANS HOLD A SPECIAL PLACE IN THEIR HEARTS FOR THE ORIGINAL ROCKNE- ERA STADIUM. WHILE IT IS STILL THERE, THE ORIGINAL FAÇADE WAS OBSCURED BY AN EXPANSION IN 1997 AND ONLY EXISTS AS A PART OF THE CONCOURSE TODAY. 1997 has evolved over the decades to on applied ornament. become a rich combination of There are many interior Retrofit Team colors that gives an overall tan spaces that sought inspiration EXECUTIVE ARCHITECT // to buff color. A warm color is from Notre Dame’s heritage The SLAM Collaborative, added to trim and details; his- and are also meant to unify www.slamcoll.com torically, it has been limestone with the new exteriors. These SPORTS ARCHITECT // and, in recent decades, cast range from the monumental HOK Architects, www.hok.com stone. Danhke Ballroom to more EARLY-PHASE DESIGN // With new buildings up to intimate spaces, such as the RATIO, www.ratiodesign.com YEAR-ROUND USE OF CAMPUS 9-stories tall, the challenge O’Neill Hall lobbies and Recital CROSSROADS IS EVIDENCED DUNCAN HALL STUDENT CENTER was finding a way to maintain Hall. Millwork and stone details BY NON-GAMEDAY DESIGN // Workshop Architects, human scale appropriate to recall the composition and ACTIVITIES OCCURRING IN www.workshoparchitects.com a campus of mostly 3- and forms of the building exteriors THE HOSPITALITY AND CLUB INTERIOR DESIGN // SPACES LOCATED WITHIN THE 4-story buildings. To respect the while providing warmth and Champalimaud, NEW BUILDINGS, WHERE THEY original stadium and campus, human scale. www.champalimaud.design EXTEND ABOVE THE RIM OF a similarly scaled base was de- An interesting historic ORIGINAL STRUCTURE THE STADIUM BOWL. veloped for the new buildings, artifact applied to many RENOVATION // Integrated Design which include tower elements interior spaces was the reuse Solutions, www.ids-michigan.com to mark entrances. of salvaged benches from the ORIGINAL STRUCTURE The upper stories of the stadium bowl. The weathered RENOVATION // Cardosi Kiper Campus Crossroads build- redwood benches—with origi- Design Group Inc., www.ck-dg.com ings progressively step back nal seat numbers intact—allow from the base and are meant visitors to touch 90 years of ENGINEER // BVH Integrated Services, www.bvhis.com to appear as if they unfold Notre Dame football history. from those lower stories. The All these elements are STRUCTURAL ENGINEER // SDI Structures, www.sdistructures.com repetition of vertically orga- intended to recall the heritage nized window bays, each with of the iconic stadium while pro- CULINARY DESIGN // Ricca Design Studios, www.ricca.com deeply articulated masonry viding a powerful new presence façades emphasize shade and on the Notre Dame campus. DESIGN-BUILD CONSTRUCTION ROBERT BENSON PHOTOGRAPHY ROBERT shadow and provide a rich MANAGER // Barton Malow, www.bartonmalow.com exterior without over-reliance (continues on page 30) PHOTO: 28 RETROFIT // March-April 2020 Canton, Ohio / (330) 456-0031 beldenbrick.com The Foundation for Achievement. Belden Brick and The University of Notre Dame – Building upon the foundations of our past for the dreams of generations to come. When it came time for the University of Notre Dame to realize their dream of bringing academics, athletics and student life together in the most ambitious building project in Notre Dame history, Belden Brick was chosen to meet their needs.