La Lumiere School Marsch Gymnasium/ La Porte, Indiana/ 1978

The La Lumiere gymnasium serves a small private secondary school in La Porte, Indiana. It provides a playing floor for indoor athletic activities, spectator seating, lockers, showers, and toilet facilities beneath a soaring roof. The building is located in a heavily wooded area adjacent to an existing athletic field. The low profile of the building integrates thoughtfully into the surrounding green space, where buildings are spaced out and nature takes charge. 

The building’s shape is equally influenced by the limited budget of the project, which necessitated a minimal design. The athletic area and support spaces share a large column-free space formed by an arched roof, which spans 100 feet. This space is enclosed at the north and south ends by glass walls and further defined by freestanding cores containing lockers, showers, and toilets. The playing floor is recessed below grade to provide the required clear height with the least amount of exterior skin. The area of this skin is further minimized by its arched configuration.