Purdue University Gateway West Lafayette, Indiana

Services Provided

Landscape Architecture
Design Development
Documentation

People Involved

Eric Lucas
Shelly Johnson

The University's historic and celebrated campus landmark transformed through the engagement of the campus community

The Purdue University Gateway is at the threshold between the University’s academic core and West Lafayette’s Chauncey Village district, making this the most visible campus entrance and the first campus impression for visitors and prospective students and faculty. Additionally, this project has significance as the first capital investment arising from the preceding Giant Leaps Master Plan and as a Board of Trustees priority for the celebration of Purdue University’s Sesquicentennial.

The State and Grant Streets intersection is an urban area characterized by heavy volumes of pedestrians, bicyclists, and cars that creates a constant stream of traffic and activity. This is also the site of the iconic Purdue Memorial Union. Design of the gateway and site sought to sensitively embrace and navigate this context while providing a new element of sizable scale befitting this entrance’s importance.

The success of the project began in August 2018, when the University asked MKSK to lead a team of architects and engineers to quickly design and produce working drawings for construction to be completed by Spring 2019 commencement.

This required daily team collaboration, with MKSK leading site design and Ayers Saint Gross leading the gateway design. MKSK’s team worked closely with Campus Planning staff, providing constant updates and engaging in numerous design workshops to study scale, orientation, and materiality. This involved numerous site visits to position the gateway as a frame to the Union, campus tours to inventory the use of brick, limestone, and metal, and digital models to explore piers, arches, openings, and seating. This continuous, design-oriented engagement was efficient and productive. Adjustments and refinements were quickly made to meet project milestones and give University Leadership confidence that the outcome would meet the design, schedule, and budget expectations.

The gateway has become an instant landmark, heavily used by the University in print and digital collateral and by students as a setting for Instagram-worthy selfies.