{{Short description|Sports complex in Gambier, Ohio}} {{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox venue | name = Lowry Center | native_name = | native_name_lang = | nickname = | logo_image = | logo_size = | image = KAC 2.jpg | image_size = 250 | image_alt = | caption = Exterior view of the facility in 2024 | image_map = | map_size = | map_alt = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = | pushpin_mapsize = | pushpin_map_caption = | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_relief = | fullname = William E. Lowry Center | former_names = Kenyon Athletic Center | address = | city = Gambier, OH | country = U.S. | location = | coordinates = <!-- {{Coord|LAT|LON|type:landmark|display=inline,title}} --> | elevation = <!-- {{cvt|...|ft|m}} or {{cvt|...|m|ft}} --> | public_transit = | parking = | owner = Kenyon College | operator = Kenyon College Athletics | designation = | type = Arena | event = | seating_type = | suites = | capacity = | record_attendance = | dimensions = | field_shape = | acreage = | surface = | scoreboard = | screens = | current_use = {{plainlist| * Basketball * Squash * Swimming * Tennis * Track and field }} | production = | broke_ground = | built = | opened = {{start date and age|2006}} | renovated = | expanded = | closed = | demolished = | rebuilt = | years_active = | cost = | architect = | builder = | project_manager = | structural_engineer = | services_engineer = | general_contractor = | main_contractors = | tenants = | website = {{url|https://www.kenyon.edu/kenyon-on-a-tour/lowry-center/|kenyon.edu/lowry-center}} | embedded = }}
The '''Lowry Center''' (formerly '''Kenyon Athletic Center''')<ref>{{cite web |title=KAC renamed to the Lowry Center to honor Bill Lowry '56 |website=The Kenyon Collegian |date=29 October 2020 |url=https://kenyoncollegian.com/news/2020/10/kac-renamed-to-the-lowry-center-to-honor-bill-lowry-56/ |access-date=27 March 2021}}</ref> is an athletic center and student union serving the Kenyon College and Gambier village communities in Ohio. It was designed by architect Graham Gund and opened to the public on 25 January 2006.<ref name="open">{{cite web|url=http://media.www.kenyoncollegian.com/media/storage/paper821/news/2006/01/26/News/New-Athletic.Center.Opens.To.Students-1514042.shtml |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110713144254/http://media.www.kenyoncollegian.com/media/storage/paper821/news/2006/01/26/News/New-Athletic.Center.Opens.To.Students-1514042.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 July 2011 |last=Baughman |first=Dayne |work=The Kenyon Collegian |date=26 January 2006 |accessdate=9 November 2008 |title=New athletic center opens to students }}</ref> The facility cost approximately $70 million to build.<ref name="counting">{{cite web|last=Baughman |first=Dayne |work=The Kenyon Collegian |date=27 April 2006 |accessdate=9 November 2008 |title=70 million... and counting |url=http://media.www.kenyoncollegian.com/media/storage/paper821/news/2006/04/27/News/70.Million.And.Counting-1880516.shtml |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110713144249/http://media.www.kenyoncollegian.com/media/storage/paper821/news/2006/04/27/News/70.Million.And.Counting-1880516.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 July 2011 }}</ref>
The center was named after William E. Lowry Jr., who served on Kenyon’s Board of Trustees for more than 30 years. Lowry also captained the football, baseball, and basketball teams and presided the student body.<ref>[https://forward.kenyon.edu/stories/story/announcing-the-lowry-center/ Anouncing the Lowry Center] on kenyon.edu</ref>
==Planning and construction== Plans were begun in 2001<ref name="first">{{cite web|url=http://media.www.kenyoncollegian.com/media/storage/paper821/news/2001/11/08/News/New-Athletic.Facilities.In.The.Works-2504750.shtml |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110713144323/http://media.www.kenyoncollegian.com/media/storage/paper821/news/2001/11/08/News/New-Athletic.Facilities.In.The.Works-2504750.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 July 2011 |title=New athletic facilities in the works |accessdate=9 November 2008 |work=The Kenyon Collegian |date=8 November 2001 |last1=Helmer |first1=Jay |last2=Ketcham |first2=Robbie }}</ref> for an athletic center to replace the then-outdated Ernst Center and Wertheimer Fieldhouse that had previously served Kenyon College.<ref name="archrec">{{cite web | url=http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/bts/archives/Universities/07_KenyonAthleticCenter/default.asp | title=Kenyon Athletic Center | last=Murdock | first=James | date=November 2007 | work=Architectural Record | accessdate=8 November 2008}}</ref><ref name="champions">{{cite web | url=http://bulletin.kenyon.edu/x1828.xml | work=Kenyon College Alumni Bulletin | year=2004 | accessdate=9 November 2008 | last=Hannon | first=Ken | title=Champions: A celebration of Kenyon Swimming | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090405120150/http://bulletin.kenyon.edu/x1828.xml | archivedate=5 April 2009 }}</ref> The building was originally intended to be called the Fitness, Recreation, and Athletic facility (FRA).<ref name="FRA">{{cite web|url=http://media.www.kenyoncollegian.com/media/storage/paper821/news/2002/05/02/News/Fra-Features.Glass.60.Million.Pricetag-2601110.shtml |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110713144300/http://media.www.kenyoncollegian.com/media/storage/paper821/news/2002/05/02/News/Fra-Features.Glass.60.Million.Pricetag-2601110.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 July 2011 |title=FRA features glass, $60 million price tag |last1=Stokes III |first1=Bryan |last2=Helmer |first2=Jay |work=The Kenyon Collegian |accessdate=9 November 2008 |date=2 May 2002 }}</ref> Designs were made in collaboration with coaches and other athletics personnel, such as swimming coach Jim Steen, who was consulted while making designs for the "state-of-the-art"<ref name="aquatics">{{cite web|url=http://www.aquaticsintl.com/eblasts/Online_dream_designs/kenyan.html |title=Kenyon College Athletic Center Gambier, Ohio |publisher=Aquatics International |accessdate=8 November 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090105192921/http://www.aquaticsintl.com/eblasts/Online_dream_designs/kenyan.html |archivedate=January 5, 2009 }}</ref> natatorium.<ref name="champions"/>
The KAC was built on the south end of Kenyon's campus, over the site of the former Wertheimer Fieldhouse,<ref name="first"/> which was demolished to make way for the new facility.<ref name="FRA"/> Construction began in 2003{{Citation needed|date=November 2008}} and the facility was first opened to the public on 25 January 2006,<ref name="open"/> two semesters after the originally projected date of completion (May 2005)<ref name="first"/> and almost three years after the beginning of construction.<ref name="open"/>
==Architecture and features== thumb|left|Side view The athletic center consists of a hangar-like structure approximately {{convert|540|ft|m}} long and {{convert|300|ft|m}} wide, or {{convert|265000|sqft|m2}} in total, with an arching roof supported by concrete columns in the center of the building and along the perimeter.<ref name="archrec"/> A frequently noted feature of the building is the use of glass to create an "open" feel<ref name="FRA"/> and provide natural lighting<ref name="champions"/>—most of the outer wall is made of baffled glass panels.<ref name="archrec"/><ref name="aquatics"/> There is also integratedness between the different areas of the facility: most interior walls do not reach the ceiling, making it possible to see and hear activities in other parts of the building.<ref name="archrec"/>
A key feature of the building is its natatorium, which serves as the principal training for the "Owls" Kenyon swimming team (formerly the "Lords" and "Ladies"; the Lords won 31 consecutive NCAA Division III championships, making them the team with the most NCAA titles in any sport,<ref name="NYT">{{cite web | url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE5DA1331F93AA25750C0A9629C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1 | title=SWIMMING; A Coach Who Churns Out Champions | last=Berkow | first=Ira | date=19 March 2004 | accessdate=9 November 2008 | work=The New York Times | page=1}}</ref> and the Ladies have won 23 (nonconsecutive) titles.<ref name="champions"/> The natatorium includes an olympic-size swimming pool with a "state-of-the-art regenerative media filter" (which, it has been claimed, saves 600,000 gallons of water a year), and is climate-controlled and hermetically sealed off from the rest of the facility.<ref name="aquatics"/>
The glass walls of the facility also play an important role in heating and regulating the temperature of the building: the glass panels have reflective coatings that control the entry of heat into the building, and are made up of two panes separated by a pocket of air which, along with the air between the glass panels and the interior sound baffling, are meant to help insulate the building and preserve energy.<ref name="learning">{{cite web | url=http://www.labelandnarrowweb.com/articles/2008/07/letters-from-the-earth | title=Learning from students | series=Letters from the Earth | last=Frost | first=Calvin | accessdate=8 November 2008 | date=August 2008 | work=www.labelandnarrowweb.com}}</ref> According to Calvin Frost, chairman of the Channeled Resources Group, Kenyon students placed a high value on ecological friendliness when sharing their attitudes about the KAC.<ref name="learning"/>
In addition to its natatorium, the KAC includes a 200-meter indoor athletics track, tennis courts, and a basketball arena.<ref name="aquatics"/> As one of the primary goals of the building's design was to cater to recreational users and the student community in addition to varsity athletes,<ref name="archrec"/> it also includes a {{convert|12000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} weight and fitness room, a multi-purpose athletic court for intramural sports and community use, squash courts, dance studios, conference rooms, a movie theater, and a small café.<ref name="peek">{{cite web|url=http://media.www.kenyoncollegian.com/media/storage/paper821/news/2005/10/27/News/A.Peek.At.The.Kenyon.Athletic.Center-1036711.shtml |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110713144221/http://media.www.kenyoncollegian.com/media/storage/paper821/news/2005/10/27/News/A.Peek.At.The.Kenyon.Athletic.Center-1036711.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 July 2011 |title=A peek at the Kenyon Athletic Center |work=The Kenyon Collegian |accessdate=8 November 2008 |date=27 October 2005 |last=Dexheimer |first=Elizabeth }}</ref>
==Recognition== The facility has been widely praised for its architectural design, and has won several awards. It won the 2007 Facilities of Merit award from ''Athletic Business'' magazine,<ref name="merit">{{cite web|url=http://www.architecturalshowcase.com/2007/project.aspx?id=11 |title=Kenyon College - Kenyon Athletic Center |year=2007 |publisher=www.architecturalshowcase.com|work=Facilities of Merit |accessdate=8 November 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080518024144/http://www.architecturalshowcase.com/2007/project.aspx?id=11 |archivedate=18 May 2008 }}</ref> the New England AIA Merit Award for Design Excellence,<ref name="aquatics"/> and the Boston Society of Architects Honor Award,<ref name="aquatics"/> and was nominated for the 2007 Court of the Year award from the American Sports Builders Association.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sportsbuilders.org/page.php?id=828 |title=2007 Court of the Year Entries |year=2007 |publisher=American Sports Builders Association |accessdate=9 November 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915141008/http://sportsbuilders.org/page.php?id=828 |archivedate=15 September 2008 }}</ref> On the other hand, it has also received some criticism for its high cost.{{Citation needed|date=November 2008}}
==Use in 2007 Will Graham celebration== From 5 to 7 October 2007, the KAC was rented out to Will Graham of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association for the 2007 Will Graham Celebration,<ref name="surround">{{cite web|url=http://media.www.kenyoncollegian.com/media/storage/paper821/news/2007/09/20/News/Followers.Prepare.For.Graham.At.Kac-2981742.shtml |title=Followers prepare for Graham at KAC |work=The Kenyon Collegian |accessdate=8 November 2008 |date=20 September 2007 |last=Friedman |first=Sarah |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071202095303/http://media.www.kenyoncollegian.com/media/storage/paper821/news/2007/09/20/News/Followers.Prepare.For.Graham.At.Kac-2981742.shtml |archivedate= 2 December 2007 }}</ref> which was attended by approximately 5,000 people.<ref name="BGEA">{{cite web | url=http://www.demossnewspond.com/bgea/news/thousands_unite_for_greater_knox_county_will_graham_celebration | accessdate=8 November 2008 | title=Thousands Unite for Greater Knox County Will Graham Celebration | date=8 October 2007 | publisher=Billy Graham Evangelistic Association}}</ref> The event was met with some controversy among the mostly liberal–progressive Kenyon College community, as Graham's son Franklin Graham had been accused of making discriminatory anti-Islamic statements;<ref name="staff">{{cite web|url=http://www.kenyoncollegian.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=24138ffa-9848-4dfb-8e16-833e3155bb4e |work=The Kenyon Collegian |date=5 April 2007 |accessdate=8 November 2008 |title=Lack of policies a cheap defense against debate |author=Staff }}{{dead link|date=May 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> numerous students and faculty called the choice to host the event "inappropriate"<ref>{{cite web | url=http://bulletin.kenyon.edu/x2554.xml | work=Kenyon College Alumni Bulletin | title=A Quest for Higher Meaning | last=Ellis | first=Mark | accessdate=8 November 2008 | date=Winter 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100629105936/http://bulletin.kenyon.edu/x2554.xml | archive-date=29 June 2010 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }}</ref> and criticized Kenyon's administration for having allowed it.<ref name="staff"/>
Several weeks before the Celebration, about 300 residents of Knox County, Ohio, in which Kenyon is located, gathered near the Kenyon Athletic Center for a "Surround the KAC" event to "form a shield of protection" around the property in preparation for the Celebration.<ref name="surround"/> The event was also intended as an outreach to the non-Christian community.<ref name="surround"/> In order to avoid trespassing on college property, the group used the public roads around the athletic facility to surround and "bath[e] the building in prayer".<ref name="surround"/>
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
== External links == {{Commons category}} * {{Official website}}
{{coord|40.370551|-82.392835|display=title|format=dms|type:landmark_region:US-OH}} {{Kenyon College}}
Category:Indoor arenas in Ohio Category:Kenyon College Category:Buildings and structures in Knox County, Ohio Category:Sports venues in Ohio Category:2006 establishments in Ohio Category:Sports venues completed in 2006