The University of Kentucky’s Gatton Student Center is the new heart of student life on the historic Lexington campus. This flagship project embraces the rich legacy of UK as it revitalizes the original 1938 Student Center and transforms the 1928 Alumni Gym into a dynamic fitness/recreation center. The GSC embodies the university’s future aspirations with a progressive architectural expression that celebrates student life at UK. The Gatton Student Center forms a connecting link between the urban nature of Downtown Lexington and the pastoral campus.

Major pathways that organize the building are anchored by an extension of the axis of Lexington’s Martin Luther King Street directly into the heart of the UK campus. Additional major circulation pathways connect to, and extend other existing campus circulation routes. At its heart, the Gatton Student Center features a multi-level activity hub that becomes an indoor extension of a beautiful outdoor dining and programming plaza. This multi-program space is anchored by a dynamic social stairway designed to abstract the limestone creeks and riverbeds of Central Kentucky. Surrounded by open walkways, lounges, study, and hangout space, and adjacent to outdoor roof terraces, this space creates a powerful campus crossroads on the dynamic UK campus.