Fronting the wide green lawn of Wade Oval in the heart of University Circle, this small information center provides support for seasonal events hosted by University Circle Incorporated. Tickets, maps, and brochures boosting the surrounding cultural institutions are provided at the center, in addition to beverages & snacks, and during the winter months, ice skate rentals are available for the adjacent UCI skating rink.
The design for the center was conceived as two “L”-shaped wing walls that join to flank an outwardly-focused glass pavilion. One of the wings consists of a “green” screen wall of Ipe wood slats, which will be eventually become overgrown with planted ivy. The second wing is fashioned from dry-stack sandstone, a material that has been previously used at Wade Oval to define the nearby amphitheater stage. The flat roof areas and projecting eaves are covered with a gridwork of green planter trays, and all storm and waste water from the facility is filtered and reabsorbed into the existing aquifer by means of a rain garden planted with indigenous plant species. The project received the prestigious “Build the Circle” Award from University Circle in November of 2010.