DESIGN
Knute Rockne, the great coach who established the national reputation of Notre Dame football, convinced the university to build the stadium, which was completed in 1930. Although the new buildings of the Campus Crossroads project did not replicate the elements of the original stadium, they derived inspiration from that structure.
SLAM studied the original building’s drawings to understand the key design elements of the Rockne-era stadium. These characteristics include:
- A repetition of three-window bays marked with strong projecting vertical pilasters and deeply recessed windows, creating a lively shade and shadow effect on each element of the façade.
- In each bay, tall windows are capped with arches. Above the arched windows is a parapet that features a frieze of vertical niches, repeated along the length of the façades.
- Contrasting stone details are used at the base, copings and windowsills. A distinctive geometric ornamental detail is located at the top of the projecting pilasters.
- The original stadium included tower elements marking key entrances with a subtle evolution of the typical bay details seen in the rest of the structure.
At Notre Dame, there is a characteristic campus palette created by a buff blended brick used on the university’s original buildings (the brick was made of the clay dug from the lakes on campus). That blend has evolved over the decades to become a rich combination of colors that gives an overall tan to buff color. A warm color is added to trim and details; historically, it has been limestone and, in recent decades, cast stone.
With new buildings up to 9-stories tall, the challenge was finding a way to maintain human scale appropriate to a campus of mostly 3- and 4-story buildings. To respect the original stadium and campus, a similarly scaled base was developed for the new buildings, which include tower elements to mark entrances.
The upper stories of the Campus Crossroads buildings progressively step back from the base and are meant to appear as if they unfold from those lower stories. The repetition of vertically organized window bays, each with deeply articulated masonry façades emphasize shade and shadow and provide a rich exterior without over-reliance on applied ornament.
There are many interior spaces that sought inspiration from Notre Dame’s heritage and are also meant to unify with the new exteriors. These range from the monumental Danhke Ballroom to more intimate spaces, such as the O’Neill Hall lobbies and Recital Hall. Millwork and stone details recall the composition and forms of the building exteriors while providing warmth and human scale.
An interesting historic artifact applied to many interior spaces was the reuse of salvaged benches from the stadium bowl. The weathered redwood benches—with original seat numbers intact—allow visitors to touch 90 years of Notre Dame football history.
All these elements are intended to recall the heritage of the iconic stadium while providing a powerful new presence on the Notre Dame campus.
PHOTOS: MATT CASHORE PHOTOGRAPHY