The Al McGuire Center

Al McGuire Center keeps coach's legacy alive

By Rebecca R. Konya

The memory of Marquette University's legendary men's basketball coach Al McGuire lives on with the completion of the Al McGuire Center, a 120,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility that supports the university's varsity basketball and volleyball programs.

"The building was named for the late Al McGuire to honor his many accomplishments and his commitment to the university," said Ben Clark, the associate project manager on the athletic facility for Opus North Corp., Milwaukee.

The new athletic center brings everything under one roof for Marquette's men's and women's basketball programs and women's volleyball program. It serves as a practice and training facility for all three teams and as a first-class game venue for women's basketball and volleyball.

But the facility's prominent location at the intersection of 12th and Wells streets on the Marquette University campus in Milwaukee presented several challenges during construction. Busy thoroughfares to the north and west and a residence hall to the east made for an extremely confined job site. Clark said the location significantly impacted how Opus handled staging and scheduling for the delivery of equipment and materials.

"We worked with the city of Milwaukee to shut down portions of Wells and 11th Street for major deliveries," he said.

The tight project site also affected access in and out of the facility during construction. A 14-foot-wide, precast panel in what would eventually be the practice gym could not be installed until the majority of the high work was complete. And with just four feet separating the athletic center from Cobeen Hall, construction crews had little room for error.

Clark noted that having to install two basketball courts below finish grade also posed a major concern. To overcome the resulting moisture problem, a vast drain-tile system and a high-quality vapor barrier were installed beneath the slab.

The arena floor is an exact replica of the one at the Bradley Center, where the men's basketball team plays its games.

In addition to the two-tiered, 4,000-seat arena, there is a media room for press conferences, a video room and a viewing room, complete with stadium seating for film study. Upstairs are the Athletic Department's administrative offices, coaches' offices and the Eagles' Nest, an academic center featuring classrooms and computer stations.

Downstairs are locker rooms, a players' lounge and a weight room outfitted with first-rate equipment. The training room includes a hydrotherapy pool and whirlpool.

	Project Name: The Al McGuire Center Location: Milwaukee Submitting Company: Opus North Corp., Milwaukee General Contractor/Construction Manager: Opus North Corp. Architect: NBBJ and Opus Architects, Minneapolis Engineer: Opus Engineers, Minneapolis Owner: Marquette University Project Cost: $25 million Start Date: August 2002 Completion Date: September 2003

The center's signature entrance is flanked by monumental brick piers and topped with a vaulted roof. Opus North chose brick as the primary exterior material because of its rich color and sense of permanence. Stone-like precise concrete and glass in-fills accent the masonry architecture.

"The materials used in the construction of this project are consistent with the materials used elsewhere on campus," said Clark.

A veteran developer of athletic facilities, Opus North designed the Al McGuire Center to creatively integrate the elements of three athletic programs into one dynamic structure that remains sensitive to its urban campus context. Clark described it as a new icon for Marquette athletics.