Kenyon Athletic Center

Plans were begun in 2001[3] for an athletic center to replace the then-outdated Ernst Center and Wertheimer Fieldhouse that had previously served Kenyon College.[4][5] The building was originally intended to be called the Fitness, Recreation, and Athletic facility (FRA).[6] Designs were made in collaboration with coaches and other athletics personnel, such as swimming coach Jim Steen, who was consulted while making designs for the "state-of-the-art"[7] natatorium.[5]

The KAC was built on the south end of Kenyon's campus, over the site of the former Wertheimer Fieldhouse,[3] which was demolished to make way for the new facility.[6] Construction began in 2003 and the facility was first opened to the public on 25 January 2006,[1] two semesters after the originally projected date of completion (May 2005)[3] and almost three years after the beginning of construction.[1]

The athletic center consists of a hangar-like structure approximately 540 feet (160 m) long and 300 feet (91 m) wide, or 265,000 square feet (24,600 m²) in total, with an arching roof supported by concrete columns in the center of the building and along the perimeter.[4] A frequently noted feature of the building is the use of glass to create an "open" feel[6] and provide natural lighting[5]—most of the outer wall is made of baffled glass panels.[4][7] There is also integratedness between the different areas of the facility: most interior walls do not reach the ceiling, making it possible to see and hear activities in other parts of the building.[4]

A key feature of the building is its natatorium, which serves as the principal training for the "Lords" and "Ladies" Kenyon swimming teams; the Lords have won 31 consecutive NCAA Division III championships, making them the team with the most NCAA titles in any sport,[8] and the Ladies have won 23 (nonconsecutive) titles.[5] The natatorium includes an olympic-size swimming pool with a "state-of-the-art regenerative media filter" (which, it has been claimed, saves 600,000 gallons of water a year), and is climate-controlled and hermetically sealed off from the rest of the facility.[7]

The glass walls of the facility also play an important role in heating and regulating the temperature of the building: the glass panels have reflective coatings that control the entry of heat into the building, and are made up of two panes separated by a pocket of air which, along with the air between the glass panels and the interior sound baffling, are meant to help insulate the building and preserve energy.[9] According to Calvin Frost, chairman of the Channeled Resources Group, Kenyon students placed a high value on ecological friendliness when sharing their attitudes about the KAC.[9]

In addition to its natatorium, the KAC includes a 200-meter indoor track, tennis courts, and a basketball arena.[7] As one of the primary goals of the building's design was to cater to recreational users and the student community in addition to varsity athletes,[4] it also includes a 12,000-square-foot (1,100 m²) weight and fitness room, a multi-purpose athletic court for intramural sports and community use, squash courts, dance studios, conference rooms, a movie theater, and a small café.[10]

The facility has been widely praised for its architectural design, and has won several awards. It won the 2007 Facilities of Merit award from Athletic Business magazine,[11] the New England AIA Merit Award for Design Excellence,[7] and the Boston Society of Architects Honor Award,[7] and was nominated for the 2007 Court of the Year award from the American Sports Builders Association.[12] On the other hand, it has also received some criticism for its high cost.

From 5 to 7 October 2007, the KAC was rented out to Will Graham of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association for the 2007 Will Graham Celebration,[13] which was attended by approximately 5,000 people.[14] The event was met with some controversy among the mostly liberal–progressive Kenyon College community, as Graham's son Franklin Graham had been accused of making discriminatory anti-Islamic statements;[15] numerous students and faculty called the choice to host the event "inappropriate"[16] and criticized Kenyon's administration for having allowed it.[15]

Several weeks before the Celebration, about 300 residents of Knox County, Ohio, in which Kenyon is located, gathered near the Kenyon Athletic Center for a "Surround the KAC" event to "form a shield of protection" around the property in preparation for the Celebration.[13] The event was also intended as an outreach to the non-Christian community.[13] In order to avoid trespassing on college property, the group used the public roads around the athletic facility to surround and "bath[e] the building in prayer".[13]

• Official site