Johns Hopkins University has commenced construction of Homewood campus ultra-modern student center in Maryland, USA. Construction of the project is ongoing despite initial setbacks from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The design for the Homewood campus ultra-modern student center was done by Bjarke Ingels Group from Copenhagen. According to the recently released design, the building will include a multi-tiered glass and will be located between the main entrance of the 140-acre campus off North Charles Street and the Baltimore Museum of Art’s sculpture garden.
In a statement, Hopkins vice provost for student affairs Alanna Shanahan said the Homewood campus ultra-modern student center  project is expected to cost $250 million and the money will be sourced from private donations. Earlier this year, the school said it expects to have a $475 million hole in its budget for the project. The school also unveiled a series of measures to help alleviate the budget shortfall.
The construction of the ultra-modern student center is expected to create an additional 2,000 jobs during the construction period with the project expected to be completed in 2024.
Shanahan said the center will allow students to interact outside the classroom and away from academics. Â “We have basically craved a student center on this campus for close to a century. It will be a focal point for our students to congregate in a non-academic context.”
Construction of the 150,000-square-foot ultra-modern student center is expected to commence in 2021 with the developer awaiting permits and design approvals from the city.
Features in the new student centers will include a dance studio, a 250-seat theater, at least two other larger spaces for up to 300 people to gather, and a dining hall.
The project design was inspired by the village setting with the main theme being the creation of a central living room for students. In addition, the theme is enhanced by a glass façade and cascading roof of solar panels that help to create a transparent perspective.
