Foundational to every learning experience at Lawrenceville is a deliberate and constant effort to create a sense of belonging and affirmation for each and every student. This robust and transformative vision for education requires a holistic approach to student wellbeing, advancing each Lawrentian’s intellectual, emotional, and physical potential. By combining athletics, recreation, and dining, Tsai Field House realizes this vision. A state-of-the-art campus resource, Tsai Field House provides opportunities for competition, activity, socialization, and nourishment, extending the hallmarks of House, Harkness, and Heart to inspire the best in each Lawrentian.
Community Spaces
Tsai Field House evokes engagement in many ways. Being there — seeing that events are in progress and accessible; eating meals with friends and colleagues; extending interactions beyond their planned purpose to share new experiences in a familiar and welcoming place — is a special opportunity that brings all of Lawrenceville together.
Tsai
Commons
A two-level dining hall for underformers, faculty, and staff provides an opportunity for the majority of the community to eat together in one space. Our long-standing practice of having all-School mealtimes for everyone highlights the importance of taking the time for food, conversation, and relationship building during the day.
The dining hall includes a robust salad bar with many options for fresh vegetables, fruit, and protein; a deli bar for making sandwiches; hot meal options with choices of entrees, sides, and soups prepared by our amazing dining staff; and make-it-yourself stations including a panini bar, omelet or pancake bar, noodle station, and other opportunities to prepare one’s own food.
Our menus are designed for variety and inclusivity as well as nutrition and sustainability. We accommodate dietary restrictions, offer culturally responsive options, and inform students of potential allergens.
School Post Office
Having a post office right here on campus is a wonderful feature of community life. Packages are delivered to storage lockers to ensure security and protect deliveries. Community members can send outgoing mail and inter-campus mail as well.
Big Red Store
The Big Red Store is where all our Lawrenceville gear can be purchased. Branded clothing, accessories, and home goods are available as well as everyday items like snacks, personal care products, and school supplies.
Fitness Center
The fitness center is available to the entire community. With a full set of exercise equipment, it’s a space for everyone to maintain and improve their physical fitness at their own pace.
Community Gathering Spaces
With both indoor and outdoor spaces that are beautiful and offer comfortable seating options, there are many places to gather formally or informally within Tsai Field House. In addition to meeting rooms, private dining rooms, and the stands, there are general-use areas with adjustable seating and outdoor landscaped courtyards.
Big Red Reading Room
The Big Red Reading Room, which offers seating and also showcases our Athletic Hall of Fame plaques, is a place for alumni to gather, for current students to remember the Big Red spirit that came before them, and for all of us to celebrate our athletes, past and present.
Athletics Facilities
Our numerous state-of-the-art facilities are built to transform student-athletes from curious individuals to courageous competitors. At Lawrenceville, athletics is a co-curricular program - it's an extension of the classroom and the values of our community. The skills learned through athletic education will help students flourish in competition, in the classroom, and for the rest of their lives.
All sports facilities have their own locker rooms, restrooms, and storage as well as ample seating for spectators. The facilities are maintained by a team of dedicated professionals and serve the whole community. Integral to most of our athletics spaces are live-streaming cameras so that families, friends, and recruiters can watch our Big Red Athletes shine from anywhere in the world.
Tsai Field House includes:
- Indoor Track and Field Arena
- Swimming Pool
- Ice Rink
- Basketball Court
- Wrestling Arena
- Squash Courts
- Sports Medicine and Athletic Training Facilities
Through These Doors
Over the course of the 2023-24 academic year, Lawrenceville's Artist-in-Residence Stuart Robertson '11 and students from his varsity arts co-curricular created a vibrant mixed-media installation that revitalizes the historic Battle-Fitzgerald Entrance of the renovated portion of Tsai Field House, and showcases the diverse colors, shapes, and experiences that comprise Lawrenceville today.
The installation was revealed at the dedication of the H. Lyals Battle ’67 and Darrell A. Fitzgerald ’68 Atrium on Thursday, May 16, 2024. This documentary captures the artistic process of Robertson and his students to create the art installation, as well as the history and legacy of Battle and Fitzgerald, Lawrenceville's first two Black students.
Big Red Athletics
Big Red spirit radiates whether you play three varsity sports, represent your House intramural team, or deck yourself out in Red and Black to cheer for your classmates. Featuring more than 70 teams across 21 interscholastic sports, as well as intramurals and recreational options, Lawrenceville's athletics program is a true extension of the House and Harkenss learning experience. Our premier interscholastic and intense intramural competition dates back centuries and is bolstered by a comprehensive fitness program that builds character, instills team values, and fosters a life-long commitment to positive physical and emotional habits. Our three-term sports requirement gives students the chance to participate in a variety of options, developing citizenship and leadership, sportsmanship and fair play, and a passionate pursuit of excellence.
The Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation
The Tsai Field House is named for alumnus Joe Tsai '82 and was brought to life by the Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation.
"We express through this gift our appreciation for what a Lawrenceville experience can do for young people and we wholeheartedly support Lawrenceville’s strategic vision of reinforcing campus life around a strong community."
Joe attended the Lawrenceville School from 1977 - 1982, where he played on the varsity lacrosse and football teams, contributed sports writing to student publications, and performed with the glee club. He went on to study law at Yale and to co-found the Alibaba Group. He owns the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty basketball teams and the San Diego Seals lacrosse team. Joe has been a member of the Lawrenceville School Board of Trustees since 2010.