University of Guelph, Gryphons Football Pavilion
Guelph, Ontario
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High Performance Fitness, Team Meeting Rooms, Coaches Offices, Film Room, Therapy Room, Hydrotherapy Pool, Offensive / Defensive and Special Teams Rooms, VIP Viewing Galleries, Rooftop Viewing Terrace
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Structural: Blackwell
Mechanical / Electrical: Smith + Andersen
Civil: EMC
Landscape: MJMA
The Alumni Pavilion comprises a renovation and extension of the existing Gryphons Alumni Stadium, located at the north end of the University of Guelph’s campus. Following the goals of an emeritus Guelph Gryphons head coach and donor, the new Pavilion provides the football team with state-of-the art facilities that enhance the national reputation of the football program and contribute to the recruitment of top future players, with a design that also welcomes supporters and the broader campus community.
The facility’s first level consolidates training and game-day amenities with therapy and administrative facilities, allowing coaches and players to work together under one roof. The upper floor has staff offices, team classrooms, and AV-integrated boardrooms — spaces that can be converted to double as viewing galleries overlooking the stadium for alumni and VIPs. A rooftop terrace offers further optimal views with movable seating; it, like the second-floor hall, is also rentable for community use, including concerts, conferences and catered events.
The Pavilion’s eastern, field-facing façade is fully glazed, establishing visual links between training and performance, preparation and success.
The new Pavilion transformed what was once a back access route into an important new gateway to the campus. This grand entryway is where crowds of people gather before games and where, through the landscape design, team spirit is amplified as supporters process to the main event. This forecourt can also host large-scale athletic and student gatherings.
Throughout its interior, the Pavilion features accents and mural-scaled graphics in Gryphon red. The team roster modeled for featured images, giving the players sense of ownership of their new home base.
The Pavilion’s ground floor has team amenities, including a sauna, a players’ lounge with a kitchen and study spaces, locker rooms with custom branded lockers, a rehabilitation room, hot and cold therapy pools, and a pre-game ‘war’ room.
