Students, faculty, and administrators gather in the new entry courtyard for the grand opening of Tsai Field House’s second phase (image courtesy of The Lawrenceville School)

Lawrence Township, NJ – May 20, 2024  Sasaki’s design for the second phase of Tsai Field House at the Lawrenceville School was unveiled to the school community with a grand opening ceremony on May 17. It adds a new main entrance and athletics facilities to the complex, expanding its role as a hub for campus life that combines dining, wellness, and recreation under one roof.

While the first phase of the project was completed by Sasaki in 2022, providing Lawrenceville students with a new pool, ice rink, and light-filled dining room with an iconic undulating roof, the second phase ties the complex together with a new main entrance to a spacious lobby facing the historic heart of campus. The lobby arcs around a curving courtyard, its form inspired by the oval-shaped Harkness tables used in Lawrenceville classrooms to encourage group discussion and a spirit of equality. A wooden canopy ringing the courtyard draws students into two ends of the lobby from the residential and academic sides of campus. These warm wood tones are carried through the common areas that wind through the building’s dining at athletic facilities, establishing a sense of welcoming shared space.

The lobby is a central wayfinding crossroads from which students can see the rest of the building through interior promenades and glazing. A bridge to the renovated, previously existing field house building creates a new gateway from the main campus to the recreational facilities, the location of Lawrenceville’s athletic fields and campus woods.

A glass bridge connects the new facilities and the renovated, previously existing field house.

The lobby is a natural continuation of the courtyard and canopy, brought indoors and directing students to other parts of the building.

In addition to the entrance, courtyard, and lobby, phase two includes squash courts, a basketball court, a wrestling room, a fitness center, locker rooms, training facilities, two new multipurpose spaces, and a community table kiosk. The bridge from the new construction opens up onto a mezzanine with a sweeping view of the historic vaulted field house, with an indoor track and multi-purpose athletics arena below.

The bridge opens onto a mezzanine around the field house arena.

“Our design knits the building through a connective tissue, linking together the new construction and existing field house building, athletic facilities with dining and student life, and the upper campus with the fields beyond,” said Marta Guerra-Pastrián, associate principal at Sasaki. “We’re so excited to see students continue to use these added spaces now.”

“Our goal for Tsai Field House was to create a visually stunning and state-of-the art facility where the Lawrenceville School community could gather for dining, athletics, and community recreation,” remarked Steve Murray, Head of the Lawrenceville School. “As we put the finishing touches on the building, it is already fulfilling its intention as a hub of campus life and wellbeing. We are deeply appreciative of Sasaki’s fulfillment of our vision for Tsai Field House, and to all of our project partners for creating a space that will transform our campus for generations to come.”

This phase marks the culmination of the third major Sasaki project at the Lawrenceville School, which hired the global design firm to produce its master plan in 2016. Prior to Tsai Commons and Field House, Sasaki designed the school’s Gruss Center for Art and Design, weaving an extensive makerspace and a flexible multi-purpose facility between the existing museum and visual arts buildings.

Sasaki design team members Trey Sasser, Vinicius Gorgati, Marta Guerra-Pastrián, Robert Genova, and Bill Massey at the ceremony (image courtesy of The Lawrenceville School)

Lawrenceville alum and donor Joseph Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai cut the ribbon at the grand opening (image courtesy of The Lawrenceville School)

About Sasaki:

Sasaki has been a leader in the design industry for 70 years. The firm is known for blending disciplines, engaging with clients and communities, drawing on history and context, and using data and emerging technologies to shape the built environment. With offices in Boston, Denver, New York, Los Angeles, and Shanghai, Sasaki’s 350 professionals partner with education, civic, and commercial clients around the world. Sasaki’s integrated services span architecture, interior design, planning and urban design, space planning, landscape architecture, and civil engineering.

About The Lawrenceville School:

The Lawrenceville School inspires and educates promising young people from diverse backgrounds for responsible leadership, personal fulfillment and enthusiastic participation in the world. Through its unique House system, collaborative Harkness approach to teaching and learning, close mentoring relationships, and extensive co-curricular opportunities, Lawrenceville helps students to develop high standards of character and scholarship, a passion for learning, an appreciation for diversity, a global perspective, and strong commitments to personal, community, and environmental responsibility.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Eric Baldwin, Director of Communications, Sasaki, ebaldwin@sasaki.com

Jessica Welsh, Director of Communications and External Relations, The Lawrenceville School, jwelsh@lawrenceville.org