Perkins and Will designed the Gatton Student Center to bring together five traditionally separate programs into a cohesive facility at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky.

From feasibility studies that started in 2005 to the ribbon cutting in 2018, this is a story of a client who pushed the envelope—then pushed some more— and the thriving student experience that resulted from the vision.

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 into state-of-the-art student organization and meeting space, and transforms the 1928 Alumni Gym into a dynamic fitness and recreation center. The student center 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.

Architect: Perkins and Will
Photography: courtesy of Perkins and Will