Payne Whitney Gymnasium

Payne Whitney Gymnasium, designed by Architect John Russel Pope and completed in 1932, is Yale’s third athletic complex since the school’s founding. Viewed from across Tower Parkway, the massive structure has been known variously through the years as the “Cathedral of Sweat,” “The Temple of the Body,” or “Yale’s great winter playground.”(1) As one stands in front of the building’s grand entrance, one cannot help but be overwhelmed by its monumentality. While the lush elm trees soften the power of the stone, the rigid form of the structure, the narrow windows and large oak doors amplify its sheer size and reflect Yale's commitment to athletics and fitness as the largest building on campus. It has 30% more cubic space than Sterling Library, and is the second largest gym in the world by cubic feet.(1) The structure’s design is equally impressive. Architect Pope won the silver medal in architectural design at the 1932 Los Angeles Games for his structure.(2)

The building is a memorial to Payne Whitney, B.A. 1898, gifted by his wife and children.(1) The complex consists of a central tower, which is nine and a half stories tall, two five story wings that house the John J. Lee Amphitheater and the Robert J.H. Kiphuth Exhibition Swimming pool, and a brick and glass addition on the Lake Place side, the William K. Lanman, Jr. Center. Most of Yale’s Varsity teams have lockers and practice spaces in Payne Whitney. The facility also includes recreational spaces such as basketball courts, swimming pools and an indoor track, which are open to the University’s student, faculty and affiliated members.

Prior to the construction of gym on York Square Street, the land was occupied by private homeowners. The York Square neighborhood bragged a greenery park in the center.(8) Sanborn maps dating from 1888 show how homes were perfectly arranged around the greenery in generous lots, with each house positioned inwards to admire the greenery.(8) When plans for the gym began, the greenspace and lots were converted. Eventually the road was widened and renamed to Tower Parkway, the road which we know it as today.

Payne Whitney Gymnasium has been entirely owned by Yale University. While little seems to have changed about its exterior façade, the gym has gone through profound changes.(1) The building has developed through the University’s history, such as the addition of new locker rooms and reconfiguration of different amenities in 1969 to accommodate the first class of women admitted to the University.(1)

Payne Whitney Gymnasium has served Yale and its community in various ways throughout its history, playing an important role in both the social and educational fabric of the University and the city. In 1978, for instance, The Yale Glee Cub and Orchestra performed in the gymnasium, and in 1942 and 1974, the Exhibition pool served as the stage for professional theatre productions.(1)

Today, community programs often hold afterschool activities including Squash Haven, one of the leading youth development programs in New Haven that serves 100 students from 24 New Haven public partner schools.(7) On any given day, athletes, students, faculty and spectators walk in and out of the building to exercise or to watch or participant in various tournaments. Even the Yale Hackathon, a collaborative computer programing event, is held annually at the gym.

The sports complex was built on York Square street and was originally far from the campus’s center. As a result, architect Pope wanted to connect Payne Whitney Gymnasium with the core campus through its sheer size.(6) The building once acted as a “great wall”, dividing the campus from the rest of the New Haven Community (as can be seen by the floor plans of the first floor).(6, 8) The original structure had no central corridor that connected the front entrance to the back.(6, 8) After the addition of the Lanman center, however, the interior was reconfigured and an entrance was added to the rear of the building. While the main entrance is still in the front, the new entrance reflects Yale’s greater integration with the community. As Architect Pinnell puts it, the addition was friendlier to the Lake Place community compared to the main structure because it scaled down its size and made it more aesthetically accessible by “putting a rhythmically articulated wall of varied materials next to the side walk, and using translucent glazing that shows figures in motion.”(6)

Since 1932, the school has expanded immensely with the introduction of various new colleges and the admittance of female students in 1969. Today, the gym is very much integrated within the campus and plays an important role in the lives of the students, faculty and New Haven community. The structure sits on Tower Parkway across from Morse and Stiles Residential Colleges, and is adjacent to Ray Thompkins House, Yale’s athletic administration office. 

As one crosses the street from the colleges towards Payne Whitney, the sidewalk extends out into a circular path with benches in the center and elm trees aligned along the building’s entrance. One can expect to hear the sound of cars revving their engines as the street light turns green, mixed with the sound of chatter as students often sit on the benches while they wait for buses to take them to the University’s fields.