Matthews Arena Addition

Matthews Arena Addition

The Matthews Arena surface parking lot at 238-262 St. Botolph Street, on the west side of the Matthews Arena, could provide space for future expansion for athletic training and practice facilities, athletic team offices and flexible, social space for student life improvements. Some of the current training facilities located in the Cabot Center could be transferred and expanded to this site including practice and training facilities for rowing and basketball. Existing surface parking would be accommodated within the Gainsborough Garage.

Urban Design and Open Space Principles

A Matthews Arena Addition would contribute to the St. Botolph Street and Gainsborough Street improvements by coordinating streetscape improvements with similar initiatives across the street at the New England Conservatory of Music (NEC). The ground floor levels of this addition will be highly glazed to allow for greater transparency and activation of the street; the principle entrance will be located on to St Botolph Street, opposite a key NEC entrance; together these entrances will animate the public realm with increased pedestrian activity throughout the day and reinforce St Botolph Street as an important gateway to the campus and to the many university and community public events held at Matthews Arena.

Site Plan

Building Program

The building program for the Matthews Arena addition could include basketball courts for practice, a smaller-capacity competition gym, training space, locker rooms and lounge space and other multi-purpose function space for student activities and events. The proposed addition could also play a role in improving the utilization and functionality of the Matthews Arena by providing much needed facilities for media, concessions, storage, gathering space and general support for the century old facility. The utilization of the Matthews Addition and the arena itself would also be greatly improved by creating a physical link to the future athletic and recreation facility proposed in the IMP through a proposed pedestrian bridge across Gainsborough Street.