The $50 million, 193,000-square-foot building features a 220-bed residence hall, competition gymnasium, recreation and fitness center, student center and more.
St. Louis College of Pharmacy marked an important milestone in its history this afternoon as the College commemorated the grand opening of its new Recreation and Student Center. Students, faculty and staff celebrated with a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony outside the new building in the College’s Quad. The opening of the $50 million, 193,000-square-foot building marks the end of a two-phase construction project that has added more than 400,000 square feet of space to campus and transformed the face of the College.
The completion of the Recreation and Student Center follows the 2015 addition of the six-story, 213,000-square-foot Academic and Research Building, which offers state-of-the-art classroom and research space for students and faculty. Built to meet LEED standards, the new seven-story Recreation and Student Center is designed to serve as a hub of student activity on campus, providing students with one-stop access to study space, academic and personal support resources, dining options and fitness and recreation.
Highlights of the new building include a 10,000-square-foot recreation center, a 350-seat dining hall and a 220-bed residence hall for first- and second-year students. The additional residence hall will double the amount of living space on campus. The building will also house the College’s intercollegiate athletic programs, giving student athletes access to a 1,100-seat competition gymnasium and training facilities. The building also features a recreation gymnasium, a 200-meter track, meeting rooms and a student center with student support offices.
“The opening of our new Recreation and Student Center represents a very important milestone for the College,” said John A. Pieper, Pharm.D., FCCP, FAPhA, president of the College. “Through our campus master planning process, we were committed to building for the future and continuing to provide outstanding facilities designed to provide students, faculty, staff and alumni with unparalleled opportunities to learn and grow. Together, the Academic and Research Building and the Recreation and Student Center reflect this commitment, and we look forward to seeing how these buildings open our campus to the acclaimed biomedical community in which we are located.”
The design of the new building was created by St. Louis-based architecture firm, Forum Studio, while construction was managed by Paric Corporation.
“It’s exciting to unveil the Recreation and Student Center to the public,” said Amy Luchun, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, associate principal at Forum Studio. “Our team worked with the College to create a space that complements the look of the Academic and Research Building, but offers a more active environment. The use of open stairways connects the students’ activities between floors, and as they move through the building, there are countless areas to relax, study and gather along the way. It’s an incredible space, and we are proud to have partnered with Paric to bring our design to life.”
“The construction of the Academic and Research Building and the Recreation and Student Center have completely transformed our campus,” noted Pieper. “The buildings bring a long-held vision of campus to fruition, and they represent the start of a very bright future for the College.”
For additional information, visit stlcop.edu.
St. Louis College of Pharmacy is one of the oldest and largest colleges of pharmacy in the nation. Founded in 1864, the College has a rich history as an independent institution that continues to lead pharmacy and health care education.
