Quiz+4

__Quiz 4__ The Cleveland State University Student Center was designed by Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects with Braun & Steidl Architects in 2010 as a 138,000 sf student center. Its main purpose is to enhance the campus image of the CSU and create an open connection with the city while offering a wide range of services to students and faculty.
 * Cleveland State University Student Center**

It is composed by many spaces, such as a bookstore, dining, lounge, computer acces, offices for student activities and conference meetings; on three levels around a central atrium. Its main entry, at the Euclid Avenue, leads directly into this skylit circulation and activity space which will also connect with campus pedestrian bridges, the main plaza and below grade parking.

As we can see in the pictures, all three levels are organized in many spaces with different purposes. Level one provides street level access to the atrium floor, bookstore, pub and cyber lounge as well as to ramp circulation that leads to redesigned outdoor plaza. The second level contains the primary dining and food court areas as well as a convenience store and student senate office suite. It also provides direct access to the campus-wide interior walkway system. And on the third level there are located a large, flexible conference center; prefunction spaces; and the student life administration and student office suite that includes interconnected lounge and conference rooms. There is also an outdoor terrace fronting Euclid Avenue.

Through the whole structure we can see various spaces with different shapes connected by both vertical and horizontal circulation. One good example of this is the main entrance that leads to the central atrium, that path from the street to the inside of the building is completely horizontal, reinforced with the semicircular shape of the atrium, but at the same time opposite with the three-level-high of the room which has a strong sense of verticality. Also on level one there are ramps leading to the outdoor plaza, dining and food court areas. Unlike stairs, ramps are used as horizontal circulation so, at lunch for example, many people can walk comfortably to the same space and to have a good view and enjoy the common areas. The exterior connectors, located in the second floor, work as well as the ramps. On the other hand, most of the stairs are visible from outside and are mainly for functional purposes, to get fast from one place to the other.

The Cleveland State University Student Center, for its height and shape, we can say has a primary horizontal circulation; but once studied the interior we found out the continuing contrasts between the horizontal spaces and the vertical circulation and vice versa. In my opinion, the structure achieved its two main goals: to perform as well to excite, a building that uplift the spirit and is memorable.

Level 1, 2 and 3

Cleveland State University Student Center Central Atrium and Food Areas media type="file" key="Quiz 4.wma" width="308" height="47"