Boston University, Fitness and Recreation Center and Agganis Arena

Situated on a 10-acre site on Commonwealth Avenue, a major city thoroughfare, Boston University’s Fitness and Recreation Center and Agganis Arena holds a prominent position in Boston’s urban landscape and provides a long-awaited anchor and hub for the BU campus.
The complex is the linchpin of the John Hancock Student Village and meets the long-range needs of varsity athletes, while creating dynamic recreational opportunities for about 30,000 students and 3,000 faculty.
Connectivity among spaces is a fundamental principle of the center’s design. A three-story rotunda with glass walls on its upper floors provides expansive visibility, allowing for an instant understanding of the rich mix of activity spaces. Radiating from the central rotunda is a panoramic view of a 35-foot climbing wall that occupies a two-story space at the center of the main lobby. Other spaces include four multipurpose rooms, an aquatics center, a multipurpose activity court, a four-court gymnasium, a four-lane walking track, and four racquetball and two international squash courts.
Agganis Arena is designed to be as intimate as possible, with 6,200 steeply raked seats within 60 feet of the playing surface. The seating bowl is open to the concourse above and is surrounded by private boxes of varying capacities, each equipped with a wet bar and theater-style seating.
A luxurious home team locker suite and visitors’ suite is situated at event level. Also at the event level are a comfortably appointed lounge for student athletes, a sports-medicine area, and a video screening room with theater-style seating.

“Vibrant! A pleasing student center for recreational activities. Great incorporation of technology and building materials.”–2006 jury

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