In design conception, the new Union aspired to engage the College’s future and past: first, by repurposing the existing 21,600-square-foot building occupying the site, completely transforming its interior and exterior in conjunction with the construction of 37,000 square feet of expansion space; and second, through the presence of art and craft throughout the project—fireplaces and hearths of local stone, a mural illustrating the College’s mission statement, forged iron representations of the College’s seal ornamenting the railings, a large-scale sundial set on the plaza overlooking the lake, and, in technological contrast, computer-controlled colored lighting and a programmable electric carillon drawing students to the entrance rotunda.
A Campus Centerpiece
Named in honor of Springfield College’s 12th president, the Richard B. Flynn Campus Union is the focal point for a wide range of student activities at the spatial and symbolic center of the physical campus. It features a 160-seat casual dining space served by five different food venues; a 50-person sports bistro; a bookstore, convenience store, and post office; a multi-purpose ballroom; a variety of meeting rooms and lounges; a spiritual life center; and suites of offices and open-plan workspaces.
The Flynn Student Union is, by nature, meant to be among a college’s most dynamic spaces, serving as the campus’s social nexus and as a junction for connectivity.
A place teeming with young scholars, hustling through on their way to class; a place where prospective students are given a taste of what college life is all about; a place where friends meet for a bite to eat, or to share a drink at the end of a long day of coursework. Springfield College wanted its new Richard B. Flynn Campus Union to be a place for all of these things, and more.