Kline Center Addition

A refreshed face for collegiate recreation and athletics

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Client
Dickinson College
Location
Carlisle, Pennsylvania, United States
Size
29,000 square feet
Status
Completed 2014

The renovated and expanded Kline Center is a building of opposites. The center’s addition is designed in many ways to be the antithesis of the historic building. The new center is light as opposed to dark, open as opposed to closed, etc.

The addition is made up of a number of distinct constituent parts: a large outdoor covered piazza, a triangulated lobby and connecting sky-lit concourse, wood clad office and café volume, a glass-enclosed fitness center, a five-court squash center and a south-facing covered porch.

The building was designed as the first part of a master plan. Consequently, the residual spaces between the new addition and the original complex are sized to accommodate future growth. In their current state, these spaces are designed as a series of garden courts for various athletic activities, such as tai chi, yoga, basketball and impromptu teaching.

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The campus walkway essentially extends inside the building, bringing students directly to key resources and amenities.
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Student resources are dynamic and plentiful creating a hub of life, engagement and wellness.
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Student resources are dynamic and plentiful creating a hub of life, engagement and wellness.

A campus connector

The Kline Center forms the western terminus of Dickinson Walk, a major campus pedestrian route, and helps visually announce athletics to the campus. The center seeks to capture the energy of Dickinson Walk, bring it into the building, and extend its reach further to the athletic complex and fields to the west via a glazed sky-lit concourse.

Meant to create campus community space, the building's entry court is populated with tables and chairs. Directly inside, the student commons is a sky-lit lobby which starts an organizing concourse that links all the athletic activities in the new and old Kline Center. The commons contains a small café and an assortment of student study spaces that can be reconfigured for student programs and activities.

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The building is a major boon for Dickinson's athletic programs, including its squash teams. Five courts and training facilities help expand its possibilities and recruit new talent.
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There is space for spectators to enjoy squash meets, bringing community and energy into the building in new ways.

Testimonials

  • Phenomenal attention to detail. The simplest moments flawlessly executed.

    Athletic Business Architectural Showcase Jury
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Original sketches from our Design Principal, John Reed, that drove the overall vision of the Kline renovation and expansion.
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Remarkable execution of details define the building envelop and key moments within. These details are also highly functional, connecting students to daylight and beauty.
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Remarkable execution of details define the building envelop and key moments within. These details are also highly functional, connecting students to daylight and beauty.
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Remarkable execution of details define the building envelop and key moments within. These details are also highly functional, connecting students to daylight and beauty.

Testimonials

  • This project is about the renewal, rebirth and reimagining of the Kline Center, let’s call it the Re-Kline.

    William Durden Former Dickinson College President
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Day, night and every hour in between, the Kline Center has become a beacon for health and wellness on the Dickinson campus.
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Day, night and every hour in between, the Kline Center has become a beacon for health and wellness on the Dickinson campus.