Illinois Football Performance Center

#154      

Deleted member 654622

D
Guest
I believe there is a "Friday Night Lights" recruiting event tonight. It would be nice if they could show the potentials something tangible to go with the imagination
 
#156      
I'm sure it is a nice facility and all. But as I feared, it is a monstrosity of an eyesore dropped on campus much like most of the latest construction projects on campus or on Green Street. Less open space all around. "Cramped" is the new architecture design on campus.
The facility blocks sight lines to about 1/4-1/3 of the columns on one side of the stadium and largely blocks out views of the stadium at all if you are to the east of Memorial Stadium. The stadium is a nice looking, traditional facility. So we're dropping buildings right next to it to apparently ensure we can't see some of the better architecture on campus anymore.
I have a real problem as an alum with the University's unwillingness to preserve various traditions so there is at least some constants and traditions for alums to share over time and with their families. This is just another example. Bigger and better and to heck with trying to do it in some way that preserves the past and tradition.
 
#157      

BananaShampoo

Captain 'Paign
Phoenix, AZ
I'm sure it is a nice facility and all. But as I feared, it is a monstrosity of an eyesore dropped on campus much like most of the latest construction projects on campus or on Green Street. Less open space all around. "Cramped" is the new architecture design on campus.
The facility blocks sight lines to about 1/4-1/3 of the columns on one side of the stadium and largely blocks out views of the stadium at all if you are to the east of Memorial Stadium. The stadium is a nice looking, traditional facility. So we're dropping buildings right next to it to apparently ensure we can't see some of the better architecture on campus anymore.
I have a real problem as an alum with the University's unwillingness to preserve various traditions so there is at least some constants and traditions for alums to share over time and with their families. This is just another example. Bigger and better and to heck with trying to do it in some way that preserves the past and tradition.
A little late to be complaining about the location of the facility when it's nearly completed. At any rate, functionally it was easily the best and only place to put it for it to tie in with the existing indoor practice facility and the stadium itself which has it's own facilities still. At least they have made other improvements to the stadium which have enhanced it's usability and appearance, most notably Grange Grove on the west side. The same can't be said for many other places across the country. It will be even better when someday, somehow, they finally do the full South End Zone renovation/addition and get rid of the tinker toy stands. Hopefully it will be sometime in the next decade...
 
#158      

DrewD007

Woodridge, IL
I'm sure it is a nice facility and all. But as I feared, it is a monstrosity of an eyesore dropped on campus much like most of the latest construction projects on campus or on Green Street. Less open space all around. "Cramped" is the new architecture design on campus.
The facility blocks sight lines to about 1/4-1/3 of the columns on one side of the stadium and largely blocks out views of the stadium at all if you are to the east of Memorial Stadium. The stadium is a nice looking, traditional facility. So we're dropping buildings right next to it to apparently ensure we can't see some of the better architecture on campus anymore.
I have a real problem as an alum with the University's unwillingness to preserve various traditions so there is at least some constants and traditions for alums to share over time and with their families. This is just another example. Bigger and better and to heck with trying to do it in some way that preserves the past and tradition.

I know next to nothing about architecture, but I think it ties in well with Memorial Stadium and the other campus buildings aside from that siding on the West side.
 
#159      

KrushCow31

Former Krush Cow
Chicago, IL
I'm sure it is a nice facility and all. But as I feared, it is a monstrosity of an eyesore dropped on campus much like most of the latest construction projects on campus or on Green Street. Less open space all around. "Cramped" is the new architecture design on campus.
The facility blocks sight lines to about 1/4-1/3 of the columns on one side of the stadium and largely blocks out views of the stadium at all if you are to the east of Memorial Stadium. The stadium is a nice looking, traditional facility. So we're dropping buildings right next to it to apparently ensure we can't see some of the better architecture on campus anymore.
I have a real problem as an alum with the University's unwillingness to preserve various traditions so there is at least some constants and traditions for alums to share over time and with their families. This is just another example. Bigger and better and to heck with trying to do it in some way that preserves the past and tradition.
You think this is a monstrosity? At my second campus, Notre Dame, we're getting close to finishing our own new performance center, which dwarfs the new Illinois one. while matching the rest of the campuses architecture. You can see it from all over campus. Here is designed vs current(ish). I think if Illinois' fits in everything that ND's does and does it smaller and more compact, that is better. I think ND's is excessive.
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#160      
I'm sure it is a nice facility and all. But as I feared, it is a monstrosity of an eyesore dropped on campus much like most of the latest construction projects on campus or on Green Street. Less open space all around. "Cramped" is the new architecture design on campus.
The facility blocks sight lines to about 1/4-1/3 of the columns on one side of the stadium and largely blocks out views of the stadium at all if you are to the east of Memorial Stadium. The stadium is a nice looking, traditional facility. So we're dropping buildings right next to it to apparently ensure we can't see some of the better architecture on campus anymore.
I have a real problem as an alum with the University's unwillingness to preserve various traditions so there is at least some constants and traditions for alums to share over time and with their families. This is just another example. Bigger and better and to heck with trying to do it in some way that preserves the past and tradition.

I imagine the designers were tasked with trying to make it blend as much as possible under the constraints of needed square footage and close proximity to the stadium and practice field, and cost of course. Making it smaller or locating it farther away would negatively impact its utility as a training facility, and I'm not sure if there's anywhere nearby they could have placed it. I'm guessing the field across from Grange Grove is off limits. Now, the bizarro zoning and planning decisions in the rest of campus and C-U is another matter.
 
#162      
It amazes me that people honestly think we should build buildings that look 150 years old as if that makes them
"look" like or fit natural next to a 150 yr old landmark. We do not and cannot make buildings in a similar fashion
to those built that long ago and should never try to do that. look at that ND monstrosity) While I am not in love
with this solution, (it doesn't even look like the renderings published with that new row of columns on the practice
field side) there is nothing about the architecture to suggest it is a bad building. modern architecture is far better,
more efficient and visually striking than almost anything 100 years old. The best 2 new football training facilities are
at Oregon and Northwestern, and are both modern, creative and exciting buildings on very traditional campuses.
 
#163      

breadman

Herndon, VA
Wondering if those columns might be temporary supports until more construction is completed.
 
#165      

BananaShampoo

Captain 'Paign
Phoenix, AZ
I know it says "Smith Center" on the rendering, but I believe it's short for "The Lovie Smith Center for Kids Who Want To Learn To Play Football Good and Do Other Things Good Too". Or the LSCFKWWTLTPFGADOTGT for short. Just couldn't quite fit the letters on the building.
 
#166      
it looked a lot better before the columns. I wonder if someone at the school thought it would
relate to the columns on the stadium? that's a bad correlation for this long, low, modern building.
 
#167      
and the letters are a terrible after thought. maybe a frosted glass letter on the big windows?
that might have ben on an early rendering too come to think of it. I sure hope that is just a
fundraising tactic to find a major donor.
 
#168      
I know it says "Smith Center" on the rendering, but I believe it's short for "The Lovie Smith Center for Kids Who Want To Learn To Play Football Good and Do Other Things Good Too". Or the LSCFKWWTLTPFGADOTGT for short. Just couldn't quite fit the letters on the building.
I bet 99.9% of the people who see Smith Center will think it's named after Lovie Smith. I guess $20 million wasn't enough to add Betty, let alone Henry Dale &. Maybe Whitman priced it at $4 million per letter hoping to get another $64 million from the Smith Foundation. That man is shrewd.
 
#169      

Joel Goodson

respect my decision™
The columns support the roof overhang and cantilevered portion of the structure. disclaimer: am not an architect.
 
#171      
It amazes me that people honestly think we should build buildings that look 150 years old as if that makes them
"look" like or fit natural next to a 150 yr old landmark. We do not and cannot make buildings in a similar fashion
to those built that long ago and should never try to do that. look at that ND monstrosity) While I am not in love
with this solution, (it doesn't even look like the renderings published with that new row of columns on the practice
field side) there is nothing about the architecture to suggest it is a bad building. modern architecture is far better,
more efficient and visually striking than almost anything 100 years old. The best 2 new football training facilities are
at Oregon and Northwestern, and are both modern, creative and exciting buildings on very traditional campuses.

Take a look at what they did to Huff though. Classic Georgian architecture (I'm not an architect, but I think that's right.) Why not match the style of the building? What they did looks stupid to me as a casual observer. I don't disagree that the NW facility is cool, in an extremely cool venue but when you park a low modern building next to the classic stadium and block the sight lines it's a shame, regardless of whether there was space or money or any way to do it differently. I wish I could have seen the stadium standing by itself rising up from the flat ground. Still seems like there's no one on campus with a vision about style, etc. They're all too focused on whether the Chief is good or bad and whether we should get a soldier or squirrel or otter and keeping the bias response team fully occupied. Leadership (or the lack thereof) has a broad reach.
 
#172      
Take a look at what they did to Huff though. Classic Georgian architecture (I'm not an architect, but I think that's right.) Why not match the style of the building? What they did looks stupid to me as a casual observer. I don't disagree that the NW facility is cool, in an extremely cool venue but when you park a low modern building next to the classic stadium and block the sight lines it's a shame, regardless of whether there was space or money or any way to do it differently. I wish I could have seen the stadium standing by itself rising up from the flat ground. Still seems like there's no one on campus with a vision about style, etc. They're all too focused on whether the Chief is good or bad and whether we should get a soldier or squirrel or otter and keeping the bias response team fully occupied. Leadership (or the lack thereof) has a broad reach.


The building is styled similarly to all the new dorms they are putting up in the 6pack quad. Looks identical to Ikenberry.

Personally, I find the complaining about the style of the building pretty funny. Definitely not the response we are hearing from recruits and players (who, by the way, is who the building is for).
 
#173      
A little late to be complaining about the location of the facility when it's nearly completed. At any rate, functionally it was easily the best and only place to put it for it to tie in with the existing indoor practice facility and the stadium itself which has it's own facilities still. At least they have made other improvements to the stadium which have enhanced it's usability and appearance, most notably Grange Grove on the west side. The same can't be said for many other places across the country. It will be even better when someday, somehow, they finally do the full South End Zone renovation/addition and get rid of the tinker toy stands. Hopefully it will be sometime in the next decade...

Since the vast majority of my happy Illini memories happened when I was a kid, the addition of Grange Grove is quite possibly my happiest Illini memory since I got out of high school in 2010 ... one random good year, and Grange Grove/Memorial Stadium is an absolute gem of a college football experience every game. The infrastructure for tailgating is so insanely good. We just need fans there, lol.
 
#175      
A little late to be complaining about the location of the facility when it's nearly completed. At any rate, functionally it was easily the best and only place to put it for it to tie in with the existing indoor practice facility and the stadium itself which has it's own facilities still. At least they have made other improvements to the stadium which have enhanced it's usability and appearance, most notably Grange Grove on the west side. The same can't be said for many other places across the country. It will be even better when someday, somehow, they finally do the full South End Zone renovation/addition and get rid of the tinker toy stands. Hopefully it will be sometime in the next decade...

I'm not late to the complaining. I didn't like the initial idea of placement or design. In my post I said "But as I feared..." I was afraid it was going to look terrible and now that it is built, just as I feared, it in fact does look terrible.