New Renderings of Practice Facility

[Max_Power]

I found these on the in the Support The Cats section of NU Sports and have not seen them linked here. My apologies if I missed them in an earlier post.

http://www.supportthecats.com/lakefront-athletics-complex/images.html

 

[mybrotha]

I'm not so sure what is so great about this? For starters, working out and looking at water would freak me out and potentially cause equilibrium problems. I really don't see anything that looks that great for football. Clean yes, sterile yes, but I think it's a swing and a miss.

 

[villox]

It's a little surprising to see that they're going to still be using this same image when the thing opens in 2022:

 

[thewildcat2011]

I'm not so sure what is so great about this? For starters, working out and looking at water would freak me out and potentially cause equilibrium problems. I really don't see anything that looks that great for football. Clean yes, sterile yes, but I think it's a swing and a miss.

Lol now this is a new one.

 

[DaCat]

People will always find a way to complain about something. Looks fantastic to me.

 

[Turk]

I'm not so sure what is so great about this? For starters, working out and looking at water would freak me out and potentially cause equilibrium problems. I really don't see anything that looks that great for football. Clean yes, sterile yes, but I think it's a swing and a miss.

Yea but they are going to have the miller lite girls bouncing around on the beach for game week!

 

[Deeringfish]

I'm not so sure what is so great about this? For starters, working out and looking at water would freak me out and potentially cause equilibrium problems. I really don't see anything that looks that great for football. Clean yes, sterile yes, but I think it's a swing and a miss.

I would be totally inspired to work out in a weight room with that view. I would get in there to watch the sun rise. It would be awesome!

 

[DaCat]

The facility is too nice. Why spoil the players and the students? Back in my day, when I ruled the lake fill for intramurals, we didn't have covered practice facilities or sissy workout rooms with panoramic lake views. We even had to play football and softball sometimes on Long Field, and basketball games and volleyball in Patton Gym, for crying out loud!

 

[villox]

What I'd like to see is a Chick-fil-a put in that's only open if we win the week prior. And yes, that includes throughout the entire offseason if we don't beat Illinois. Gotta be like the clock tower.

 

[NJCat83588]

Did they move campus closer to downtown Chicago?

 

[Hungry Jack]

I find those renderings pretty mind-blowing, including all the girls.

 

[Fitz51]

For starters, working out and looking at water would freak me out and potentially cause equilibrium problems.

This has to be one of the most absurd things I've seen posted here.

 

[ricko654321]

People will always find a way to complain about something. Looks fantastic to me.

Way too much transparency in the exterior. Opponents can just have people sit in a boat on the lake and there's no way we can prevent them from stealing secrets from Fitz's closed practices!!

 

[JoeWildcat]

Way too much transparency in the exterior. Opponents can just have people sit in a boat on the lake and there's no way we can prevent them from stealing secrets from Fitz's closed practices!!

Drowns.

 

[SmellyCat]

I'm not saying it's not cool, but it looks kinda like a spaceship landed on the lakefill.

 

[Cat In The Cradle]

I find those renderings pretty mind-blowing, including all the girls.

Agreed. I think they are legally obligated to add the disclaimer "accessories not included" if they intend on showing these pictures to potential recruits.

 

[Ubermorgen]

I'm not saying it's not cool, but it looks kinda like a spaceship landed on the lakefill.

Have you seen the new Ryan Center for Musical Arts on the lakefill?

 

[kreggk]

Did they move campus closer to downtown Chicago?

SShhhhhhh

 

[Cat In The Cradle]

Did they move campus closer to downtown Chicago?

A major earthquake is anticipated between now and facility completion, and the artist rendered his/her depiction to account for it. Global warming is also accounted for, as this depicts what Evanston will look like in February.

 

[Alaskawildkat]

It's a little surprising to see that they're going to still be using this same image when the thing opens in 2022:

If the opening date is 2022 then those must be jet packs rather than backpacks on the students. Obviously there will be no paper print textbooks by then that would necessitate hauling around books.

 

[stpaulcat]

I'm not saying it's not cool, but it looks kinda like a spaceship landed on the lakefill.

As architecture, it is hideously bad--NU has hit a new low, among some other duds, with this one. Corporate, pretentious, overblown spaces, vastly out of scale with the north quad and the lake shore. First year architecture level of design, at best. It does have a function, however, and a practice field, so it serves a purpose. That is it's only virtue. I agree with DaCat--both at NU and at Penn, we had athletic facilities that made you feel like you were part of a significant history--old and somewhat decrepit, but with character. This place makes one feel as though they are part of some future that I hope never actually comes to pass.

 

[hoosboot]

As architecture, it is hideously bad--NU has hit a new low, among some other duds, with this one. Corporate, pretentious, overblown spaces, vastly out of scale with the north quad and the lake shore. First year architecture level of design, at best. It does have a function, however, and a practice field, so it serves a purpose. That is it's only virtue. I agree with DaCat--both at NU and at Penn, we had athletic facilities that made you feel like you were part of a significant history--old and somewhat decrepit, but with character. This place makes one feel as though they are part of some future that I hope never actually comes to pass.

Um...I think DaCat was kidding. At least I hope he was. When one is waxing poetic about the days when they "ruled the lake fill for intramurals", you have to hope and pray that it's the sublime satire it appears to be.

 

[Alaskawildkat]

Agreed. I think they are legally obligated to add the disclaimer "accessories not included" if they intend on showing these pictures to potential recruits.

Back before SPAC and its progeny we actually had a lake front beach view looking out from the dorms east of the North Campus Quads. This was the view from my dorm room on the second floor of McCulloch before it was joined with Bobb to become present day Bobb-McCulloch.

Back then though all the coeds lived on South Campus so the "included accessories" even then did not reach the level of those promised on the facilities projection graphic.

Though the then view for those on the west side of McCulloch or Bobb remains more recognizable today:

 

[DaCat]

Um...I think DaCat was kidding. At least I hope he was. When one is waxing poetic about the days when they "ruled the lake fill for intramurals", you have to hope and pray that it's the sublime satire it appears to be.

I was kidding of course. Back in the day, I lived on south campus and had to walk, uphill both ways, to get to my classes at Tech and to play on the vast fields of the then-uncluttered lakefill and Long Field. Probably woke up wrassler as we started intramurals in the afternoon after his previous night of binge drinking.

 

[techtim72]

Comments:

- Extraordinary site with unbelievable views. A once in a lifetime opportunity for NU and the designers.
- Public spaces are pretty cold. The interiors look like a modern art museum coupled with a Chicago downtown office building. No places to loiter. Move along students, get to where you are going! I like the spaces visually but they need to realize this is a University not a train station.
- No comfy seating for lounging around in the cafeteria/study hall, or whatever it is. Definitely cold. Again looks like a Chicago downtown office building. Let some interior designers loose to make the space fun and a gathering place!
- Would have been nice if there was a balcony overlooking the beach although Chicago's weather makes that tough when school is in session. What a place that would be for hitting up alumni for money.
- The building is a wall to the beach and not a part of the beach. As a place to sun in the middle of July-August, don't expect much breeze.
- If they are able to afford the window wall system shown for the field house - frameless, structural glass, extraordinarily expensive - and not cheapen it up with standard Chicago curtainwall (Not that it is cheap either.), the fieldhouse will be spectacular. Nothing will compare.
- I think they missed it on making a signature design statement at the point on the Lake, but, hey, everyone is entitled to their opinion. The architecture seems dated to me and not timeless. However, it looks like they may be doing something interesting with color and, if they do, that could really make for a spectacular site at night with different color lighting effects.
- The guy sitting in the lobby of the Northwestern Athletics offices looks like a young Pat Fitzgerald.

Just observations. We are fortunate to have this great facility.

 

[stpaulcat]

Um...I think DaCat was kidding. At least I hope he was. When one is waxing poetic about the days when they "ruled the lake fill for intramurals", you have to hope and pray that it's the sublime satire it appears to be.

I was partly kidding too about the "stanch of an old gymnasium". However, I do understand and experienced "ruling the lake fill for intramurals." Not sure he was kidding about that. It was sacred.

 

[stpaulcat]

Comments:

- Extraordinary site with unbelievable views. A once in a lifetime opportunity for NU and the designers.
- Public spaces are pretty cold. The interiors look like a modern art museum coupled with a Chicago downtown office building. No places to loiter. Move along students, get to where you are going! I like the spaces visually but they need to realize this is a University not a train station.
- No comfy seating for lounging around in the cafeteria/study hall, or whatever it is. Definitely cold. Again looks like a Chicago downtown office building. Let some interior designers loose to make the space fun and a gathering place!
- Would have been nice if there was a balcony overlooking the beach although Chicago's weather makes that tough when school is in session. What a place that would be for hitting up alumni for money.
- The building is a wall to the beach and not a part of the beach. As a place to sun in the middle of July-August, don't expect much breeze.
- If they are able to afford the window wall system shown for the field house - frameless, structural glass, extraordinarily expensive - and not cheapen it up with standard Chicago curtainwall (Not that it is cheap either.), the fieldhouse will be spectacular. Nothing will compare.
- I think they missed it on making a signature design statement at the point on the Lake, but, hey, everyone is entitled to their opinion. The architecture seems dated to me and not timeless. However, it looks like they may be doing something interesting with color and, if they do, that could really make for a spectacular site at night with different color lighting effects.
- The guy sitting in the lobby of the Northwestern Athletics offices looks like a young Pat Fitzgerald.

Just observations. We are fortunate to have this great facility.

Agreed, both with your comments and the fact that we are fortunate to have such a facility. It is an opportunity missed, however. Dated for sure.