Menlo Atherton High School, Sports Complex

Atherton, California

Firm

DES Architects + Engineers

Client

Sequoia Union High School District

Area

18,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$4,795,000

Completion Date

09/2004

The programmatic requirements for the Menlo Atherton High School Sports Complex included an 18,000-square-foot auxiliary gymnasium in addition to an existing spectator gym. The facility contains a basketball gymnasium, wrestling gymnasium, weightroom and a dance studio. A soccer field adjacent to the auxiliary gym, a new track and a 66-yard by 120-yard all-weather football field next to the spectator gym complete an expansive indoor-outdoor sports complex for the campus.
School officials desired a formal entry to the athletic quadrant of the campus. The architect’s response was to site and design a new gateway punctuated by eight pylon columns with an adjoining plaza space. Glass overhead rollup doors along one side of the new basketball gymnasium open onto the new outdoor plaza. This feature provides a direct connection between all indoor and outdoor spaces of the sports complex. The plaza and adjoining spaces can accommodate large social functions and scholastic events. The design glass rollup doors allow natural light to fill the gymnasium space.
Textural concrete masonry units (CMU) are used as a structural shearwall element and provide a context to the existing gymnasium’s exterior finish. Decorative curved roof eaves relate to other campus architectural elements.