Just a few years ago the Denver Broncos replaced their beloved home, Mile High Stadium, with a new stadium called Invesco field at Mile High. This was a highly controversial change and the "at Mile High" part was a serious compromise to appease the community. With this brand new academic center for student athletes on the University of Oregon's Campus, financed principally by the founders of Nike, one has to wonder, will it soon be the Nike Sports University at Oregon. Especially considering just behind it, the largest and most expensive PAC ten indoor arena is rising from the earth, upon being finished will bear the name of the Matthew Knight Arena (after founder of Nike, Phil Knight's son). But, back to the new academic center. First, it is the kind of project that every architect dreams of, and ZGF of Portland definitely did not drop the ball. To say it is a display of opulence doesn't begin to describe it. I think if the Egyptian Pharaoh King Tut was an Oregon college sports aficionado this would have been his tomb, not that cheap pyramid in Giza. Its really quite overwhelming, and I honestly can't describe it with words, I even struggled to describe it with photographs, but it sure was fun to try.
The building is surrounded on three of four sides by a reflecting pool (non student athletes who do not get to use the building have referred to it as a "moat")
The three story lobby looking up.
There is no such thing as a "second grade" material in this building, only first class, innovative, beautiful and expensive stuff here.
This is the emergency exit "fire stair." The pattern on the wall is made up of the names of student athlete graduates.
All Photographs Copyright 2010 Andrew Browning Photography
No comments:
Post a Comment