Payne Whitney Gymnasium, which is in the process of an exterior restoration, was constructed in 1932 under
the direction of John Russel Pope. The gym is one of the most complete
units of indoor facilities in the world. The building was given to the
University by the Whitney family in memory of their son Payne Whitney,
class of 1898. The nine and one half story structure contains training
centers for crew, gymnastics, swimming, general exercise, recreational
and varsity strength and conditioning and a state of the art fencing
salon.
The Dwyer Sports Medicine Center, located on the first floor, is the
primary rehabilitation facility for Yale Athletics. The recently renovated
center includes seven treatment tables, physician's examination room,
hydrotherapy room, dental mouthguard lab, isokinetic bicycles, a Kin
Com Isokinetic testing and training device, an upper body ergometer,
stairmaster and treadmill.
The
highlight of the second floor is the Kiphuth Trophy Room, which features
Yale memorabilia dating back to 1842. On each side of the tower are
the wings which reach five and one-half stories in height. One wing
is the John J. Lee Amphitheater, the home of Yale basketball, gymnastics
and volleyball, and the other is the Robert J.H. Kiphuth Exhibition
Swimming Pool. This historic building is currently in the midst of a
$100 million renovation under the direction of the architectural firms
of Ellerbe Becket and Cesar Pelli. Phase I of the renovation was completed
with the opening of the William K. Lanman Center in April, 1999.
The
Lanman Center adds 57,000 square feet of new space that provides four
regulation basketball and volleyball courts, 20 basketball stations
and six badminton courts, along with a one-eighth-mile indoor running
track. Other additions in Phase I include 15 international squash courts
and three exhibition courts, one of which is the only four-glass-wall
court in the country. Also new is the magnificent 20,000-square foot
Adrian C. "Ace" Israel Fitness Center, which includes the 7,000-square
foot Brooks-Dwyer Varsity Strength and Conditioning Room. In addition,
new locker rooms for varsity basketball, crew, fencing, gymnastics,
squash, volleyball and women's general membership were completed. Future
phases include a 50-meter pool with a separate spring board and tower
diving facility, expanded gymnastics and fencing centers and additional
improvements to membership locker rooms and the John J. Lee Amphitheater
lobby. Yale is proud to house one of the most magnificent gymnasiums
in the world and is committed to ensuring that it meets the needs of
today's modern athlete. The new Payne Whitney Gymnasium will carry forth
the great history and traditions of Yale Athletics into the next century.