Celebrating the Dedication of Tsai Field House (with reporting from L10 News)

The culmination of a multi-year endeavor aimed at fortifying the heart and soul of the Lawrenceville community through a unified dining and athletic facility, Tsai Field House was celebrated and dedicated on May 17. This new hub for Lawrenceville’s campus life provides a host of opportunities for various aspects of wellness and extends the School’s commitment to environmental sustainability with Silver LEED status.

“Those of you who have been on this journey with us know how remarkable this day is,” said Head of School Steve Murray. “Tsai Field House has truly been a community effort, which is fitting given its place in School life. But it is Tsai Field House, reflecting not only Joe and Clara Tsai’s initial support for the project, but all the advice and support they provided along the way. Joe understood from the outset what we were trying to accomplish, and he was on board from the beginning.”

“A plan to expand and improve the field house dates back to 2011, but it was in 2016 that Joe Tsai, Class of 1982, and his wife Clara committed to partner with the school on a completely new vision – a vision that would showcase the role of athletics in the context of an academic community,” said Board of Trustees Chairman Jon Weiss ’75. “Thank you, on behalf of the Trustees, to Joe and Clara, and to the donors who joined with them to make significant gifts to this facility. You have created a field house and dining complex that I'm confident creates a new playing field among independent schools.”

“There are no words that can adequately express the gratitude we feel for your incredible gift to our students and the future of Lawrenceville,” added Murray. “This is a game changer.”

Tsai expressed appreciation to many others during his remarks, but especially to his parents for sending him to Lawrenceville.

“I’m grateful,” he said, “because Lawrenceville made me who I am.” He reflected on coming to Lawrenceville at age 13 in 1977 from Taiwan, noting that some of the most transformative moments of his experience occurred on the sports field and in the dining hall. 

“My favorite part of the day at Lawrenceville was during dinner time … When you play sports and when you have meals together, (these) are the things I remember about life at Lawrenceville,” he said. “That’s why, beyond House and Harkness, I hope our students can experience the full Lawrenceville life and the sense of community it brings at the new field house and dining center.”

Student Council President Bryce Langdon ‘24 thanked Tsai and the other donors to the field house on behalf of the student body.

“Tsai [Field House], more than anything, is a place that will bring us together, unite us, whether through dining, athletics, or social gatherings,” Langdon said. “This building will foster a sense of community and is a testament to Lawrenceville’s continuing commitment to strengthening this community.

“This really sets Lawrenceville apart,” Langdon continued. “Yes, the individual athletics and dining facilities are state of the art. But what this place really is a commons, a place for connection and community that will promote a culture of support.”

A performance of Bruno Mars songs by Lawrenceville’s a cappella group, The Larries, followed Langdon’s remarks, before donors gathered for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting.

Director of Athletics and Co-Curricular Education Tripp Welborne closed the event, noting that the new facility has “given us inspiration and truly renewed our spirit of sportsmanship and competition amongst all students, as well as congeniality and community.”

The first phase of the Tsai Field House project was completed in 2022, providing students with a new pool, ice rink, and light-filled dining room with an iconic undulating roof, creating a unified space for Lawrenceville’s long-standing practice of gathering community members for all-School meals, highlighting the importance of taking the time for food, conversation, and relationship building during the day.

The second phase ties the complex together with a new entrance to a spacious lobby facing the historic heart of campus. The lobby arcs around a curving courtyard, its form inspired by the oval-shaped Harkness tables used in Lawrenceville classrooms to encourage group discussion and a spirit of inclusion. A wooden canopy ringing the courtyard draws students into two ends of the lobby from the residential and academic sides of campus. These warm wood tones are carried through the common areas that wind through the building’s dining and athletic facilities, establishing a sense of welcoming shared space.

The lobby is a central crossroads from which students can see the rest of the building through interior promenades and windows. A bridge to the renovated, previously existing field house building creates a new gateway from the main campus to the recreational facilities, Lawrenceville’s athletic fields, and campus woods.

In addition to the entrance, courtyard, and lobby, Phase II includes squash courts, a basketball court, a wrestling room, a community fitness center, locker rooms, athletic training facilities, two new multipurpose spaces, and a snack area. The bridge from the new construction opens onto a mezzanine with a sweeping view of the historic vaulted field house, with an all-new indoor track and multipurpose athletics arena below. The newly designed Battle-Fitzgerald Entrance to the field house from the football field was dedicated last week as well, and features a vibrant installation created by Artist-in-Residence Stuart Robertson ’11 and students from his Varsity Arts co-curricular. 

Incorporating sustainable construction practices and materials was important to the project and in keeping with the School’s commitment to preserving and enhancing its environment. Geothermal wells beneath the new multi-sport turf field will serve the energy needs of the building complex. In addition, the Tsai Field House project has successfully reduced storm water runoff, helping to safeguard our waterways. Students have been instrumental in these efforts, conducting biodiversity surveys to monitor and work toward improving the ecological health of these areas.

The Tsais were joined by other generous donors who embraced their vision: Alexa and Michael Chae ’86, Natalie and Fahad Al Rashid ’98, Sunday Pan and David Yu P’21 ’28, The F. M. Kirby Foundation, Karen and Jeff Kirby ’80 P’11 ’12 ’15 ’18, Kathy and Michael Shum P’19 ’24 ’27, Jeanie and Tom Carter ’70 P’01 ’05, Jeanet and John Irwin ’72, Jane Irwin Droppa and Larry Droppa P’07 ’11, Amanda and Dan Tapiero ’86 P’21 ’22, Maggie Zhang and Peter Wen P’23, Kevin Tse ’97, Sarah P’12 ’17 and Haley Ketterer ’12, Elizabeth and Stephen Davidson ’86 P’18, and William and Maine Park ’88 P’22 ’23 ’23.

The School is also grateful to architectural and design firm Sasaki, construction firms AM Higley and V.J. Scozzari & Sons, Stevens Advisors, design firms Alexander Isley, Inc. and ARTfx, and Kochis Landscaping. Special acknowledgement goes to Pete DeVine P’22, Lawrenceville’s Chief Operations Officer, and Fred Montferrat in Facilities Services, who led this project for Lawrenceville.

See more photos from the dedication in a Lawrenceville Flickr gallery.  

For additional information, contact Lisa M. Gillard H'17, director of public relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.