The National Cathedral School began construction of a 99,000-sf underground athletic center in November 2000. The $17.5 million facility will be located underneath a soccer field and is expected to open in February of 2002. Working with the restriction that no more than 14 percent of the 57-acre National Cathedral site may be developed, the center will be accessed via a small stone pavilion containing a three-story atrium and a 40-foot freestanding climbing wall. Designed in a Gothic Revival motif, the pavilion reflects the style of other small buildings on campus. Plans for the project began to be developed in 1990, involving architectural challenges such as the weight of the field that would act as the center's roof. The facility will accommodate athletic activities for 565 girls in grades four through twelve and will house a three-court, multipurpose gymnasium with a raised running track, a fitness center, locker rooms, a training and wellness center, a 400-seat gymnasium for competitions, a hall of fame and administrative offices. The Washington office of Cannon Design, based in Grand Island, N.Y., will act as the architectural and structural project engineer. Clark Construction, of Bethesda, is the general contractor. Cannon has designed its plans for the center around several 150-year-old oaks that were on site prior to the cathedral, in a joint effort with the school to preserve the trees.
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CannonDesign
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