Yale Dedicates Reese Stadium

CENTERBROOK, Conn. – Yale University recently celebrated the dedication of Reese Stadium, the renovated and expanded home for its men and women’s varsity soccer and lacrosse teams. Centerbrook, led by Partner Mark Simon, FAIA, and Senior Associate Sue Wyeth, AIA, designed the new facility.

“The new Reese Stadium will draw excellent coaches and students and proudly host tournaments and NCAA games – events that will bring new prestige to the teams and to Yale Athletics,” according to the dedication day program.

The design employs the same barrel vaults and arches found on the facades of the nearby Yale Bowl and Yale Baseball Stadium, along with similar stucco to unite Yale’s athletic village. Simon had previously developed a Master Plan for the university’s Derby Avenue athletic campus, and led the Centerbrook team that designed the Kenney Center and adjacent Jensen Plaza as the formal entry to the historic Yale Bowl. Several years ago, Simon and Centerbrook also expanded and renovated the Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center.

The new facility replaces old bleachers with an entirely new building that also houses team rooms, concessions, ticket booths, a press box, and two alumni terraces at the top of the grandstand. It hosted its first soccer games this past fall. The new stadium now seats 1,766 spectators along with additional areas for standing room viewing.

Reese Stadium was made possible by a gift from Jason and Jon Reese and their family; the alumni were two of Yale’s greatest lacrosse players. Centerbrook’s design improvements began with a new lighting system and artificial turf, which were installed in the winter of 2006-07. A donation from the Kempner family and an anonymous challenge gift helped move the plans forward in the spring of 2008. In all, there were 100 donors for the $8 million project.

At this writing the Yale Men’s Lacrosse team is ranked number one in New England and 15th nationally in Division I collegiate competition.