Construction Update: Dillon Gymnasium at Princeton
Construction is underway at Princeton’s Dillon Gymnasium, a 1947 Collegiate Gothic building at the heart of Princeton’s historic campus.
We were asked to transform the existing locker room level and to simplify circulation from the main entry to the lower level fitness spaces. Building-wide modifications to correct building and fire code violations and accessibility issues are also part of the $10 million project. The new locker room design will link the main entry at the north end to the lower level fitness spaces by creating a light filled corridor along the west wall of the locker room level. The new west corridor is now visible as part of the construction and the transformation of the space is apparent.
Dillon Gymnasium was the home of the Princeton Tiger Basketball team from 1947 to 1969. The heyday of Princeton sports included the 1964-1965 men’s basketball season as it played some of the finest basketball in the country, led by All-American captain and former Senator from New Jersey, Bill Bradley ’65. The Tigers won the Ivy League title and earned a trip to the NCAA tournament that season, and inspired author John McPhee to write about Bradley and team in his short story for The New Yorker “A Sense of Where You Are.”
Dillon Gymnasium opened in 1947 on the site of the former gymnasium that was destroyed by fire. Once home to all varsity athletics, Dillon Gymnasium is now mainly used as the headquarters for the Campus Recreation program. It serves a diverse population of students, faculty, alumni, and university employees. In addition to both Men’s and Women’s Locker Rooms, Dillon includes various administrative and varsity athletic coach’s offices, a 1,500 seat gymnasium, squash courts, an 8,000 square foot fitness center, and an Olympic sized swimming pool. It is also the home venue for men’s and women’s varsity volleyball and wrestling matches. The building interventions will reflect the importance of this distinctive and vital building while providing state-of-the-art amenities and facilities.