Performance Gym and Student Commons

Cor Jesu Academy is a Catholic college preparatory high school for young women located in St. Louis, MO. In an increasingly competitive secondary-school market, Cor Jesu wished to stay at the forefront and commissioned Hastings+Chivetta in 2013 to update its master plan. This master plan guides the school’s development for the near-term and into the future and puts the school on a path for continued growth and success. With the acquisition of 10 acres of land in 2012, the school was poised to begin the process of building a new Multi-purpose Gym and Student Commons addition, part of the master plan, designed by Hastings+Chivetta. The innovative new space allows Cor Jesu the opportunity to provide new courses and state-of-the-art learning as well as grow the school’s athletic program. The Performance Gym features two full courts on the first floor for basketball and volleyball, with retractable bleachers and weight training and workout rooms. The new Student Commons was built in an open space between the new addition and the existing school building, and overlooks the new Gymnasium. It also includes a new multipurpose space as well as offices for the athletic department. This serves as a designated community area for students to gather, meet with faculty and collaborate in study areas. The school’s signature red color and natural light from skylights and floor-to-ceiling windows permeate the space. New classrooms with flexible furniture and integrated technology are on the upper level. The new Gym and Student Commons addition allows Cor Jesu to fulfill its mission of educating the whole person in spirit, mind and body.

The University’s historic Cope and Stewardson Field House has been transformed into a 21st century fitness, athletic and recreation center. Completed in 1902, it is a registered historic landmark and was the site of the 1904 Olympics, the first Olympic games held outside of Europe.  The new Recreation Center, created through the addition and renovation of the Field House, is an innovative, modern facility that honors its legacy.

A 1980s addition on the north side of the Field House created a visual distraction from its character.  Designers wrapped the northern addition and the new southern addition in a glass-enclosed colonnade featuring masonry piers capped with restored Indiana limestone.  This approach respects the architectural integrity of the original structure with an interpretive design that honors its historic context.

The original entry was restored as the main access point to revitalize the arrival experience.  Existing half-level floor plates were removed to create a multi-story space through which a bridge, surfaced with hardwood salvaged from the original gymnasium floor, connects old and new and serves as the primary access point for every-day use.  The entrance leads to the open, three-story fitness center and is flanked by multipurpose fitness spaces, a spinning studio and a nearby recreation gym.  The elegant, soaring structural elements in the fitness space are paired with articulated wood paneling and glass clerestories and skylights.  The result is a modern, open dynamic space that promotes health and fitness and encourages connections to the history of the institution.