Ithaca College’s Robert B. Tallman Rowing Center on Cayuga Inlet, pays homage to the club and collegiate structures of the Schuylkill and Charles Rivers which were built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Essentially a storage building, the design follows the forms seen in historic waterfront structures and rural vernacular of Upstate New York. The building makes an iconic statement as it responds to the modest existing architectural context that surrounds it.

Resting on a base of native bluestone, the Rowing Center is a long, low, cedar-clad building with a hipped roof that evokes the graceful curves of oars and racing shells. The roof’s broad overhang is in contrast against the sweeping arc of the eyebrow dormer on the mezzanine level, where a balcony overlooks Cayuga Inlet and affords views across the channel racecourse.

 Inside, the building is largely open, with steel tube columns and heavy timber beams expressing the massive roof structure. Natural white maple wood trim throughout creates a modern, airy atmosphere. The design team worked closely with the rowing coaches to create a building that would inspire student athletes in the rowing program as well as support the functional requirements for boat storage, maintenance, and athlete training activities.