The cornerstone to building community.
Overview
The new Campus Commons at McPherson College is a multi-level, 55,000 square foot landmark structure at the entry to campus on Hwy 56/Kansas Avenue. The Commons will contain new dining services, a coffee shop and campus store, student club, activities and lounge spaces. The upper levels will contain student affairs, career services, enrollment, and administration as well as a Welcome Center event and gathering space.
The building’s “prairie-inspired” design is a signature to Kansas that stems directly from its site: a new diagonal axis leads out from an existing campus entryway and continues through the Campus Commons via a large, glassy atrium. Exterior materials include a blend of glass, metal panels, and wood to keep a light overall aesthetic, with stone stair towers providing offsetting accents. The atrium space unifies all three floors of the 55,000-square-foot structure with ample natural light and glass elevators and features vintage historic cars on display to celebrate McPherson College’s one-of-a-kind Automotive Restoration program. The ground floor will primarily consist of the college’s new dining facility, with seating for approximately 400, along with a coffee shop and campus store. The upper floors will house several key functions including a flexible student collaboration space; consolidated office spaces for enrollment services, student affairs, and the new Dalke Center for Career and Experiential Learning.
Overall, the Campus Commons’ dynamic design is intended to be a powerful statement about the college’s exciting future: a future of growth and opportunity for the entire college and McPherson community.
