△ Rendering of Johns Hopkins University Student Center
Johns Hopkins University has entrusted BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) with the mission to transform the social experience for students. The Village, BIG’s design for the new student center, is envisioned as an open, modern, and welcoming facility that serves as a vibrant social hub for the entire Hopkins community.
△ Rendering of Johns Hopkins University Student Center
BIG is honored to be selected as the architect for the new student center at Johns Hopkins University after a rigorous international design competition. This process was guided by a special advisory committee, actively involving students and staff, with over 1,200 students, faculty, and alumni providing feedback through a selection survey. BIG’s design received the highest praise for its openness, seamless connection to outdoor spaces, abundant natural light, and alignment with the university’s sustainability goals.
BIG and Shepley Bulfinch are collaborating on the architectural design, while Rockwell Group and Michael Van Valkenburg Associates are responsible for the interior and landscape design respectively. Covering approximately 13,900 square meters, the building will include leisure and social areas, creative and performing arts spaces, a student resource and support platform, a lounge, a digital media center, a 200-seat performance venue, and a popular restaurant with direct access to the Charles Street New Square. This facility will provide a much-needed, true non-academic gathering place on the Holmwood campus in Baltimore, Maryland.
△ Rendering of Johns Hopkins University Student Center
“This will be a completely new kind of space — not focused on academics, but entirely social. It will be open to everyone without restrictions, featuring flexible spaces that encourage communication and collaboration. Here, athletes, actors, dance teams, and student union members alike will find a place to come together.” – Ronald J. Daniels, President of Johns Hopkins University
The Beach, located at the intersection of 33rd and Charles Streets, is a well-known open space on campus. The Village is positioned just south of the Beach, aiming to strengthen the connection between campus and the Charles Village neighborhood by creating a welcoming new entrance on 33rd Street. Situated at the heart of student activity zones, it transforms a campus corner into a lively social hub. Serving as a natural gateway, it provides convenient access to the Holmwood campus center for Charles Village residents and over 3,500 nearby students.
△ Rendering of Johns Hopkins Student Center
“Moving from the feasibility study to the design phase is truly exciting. Incorporating the aspirations of Johns Hopkins students into the design goals and witnessing the project evolve through a dynamic process gives me confidence that the building will exceed expectations.” – Alanna Shanahan, Vice Dean of Student Affairs at Johns Hopkins University
The Village is conceived as a central gathering hall, surrounded by a variety of tailored spaces that cater to the needs of the Hopkins community. Following the natural slope of the site, all four floors provide direct interior access, ensuring smooth circulation and multiple entry points across the campus. Upon arrival at Charles Street, visitors will be welcomed by open building facades and dining areas adjacent to a sunlit plaza.
△ Rendering of Johns Hopkins University Student Center
“Having taught at several prestigious East Coast universities, it is an incredible honor to be chosen to design the Student Activity Center at Johns Hopkins. We envision the campus center as a village composed of diverse spaces and pavilions that support a wide range of activities, interests, and subcultures.” – Bjarke Ingels, Founder and Creative Director of BIG
The open entrance of the Village leads into a multi-layered indoor landscape that accommodates dining, performances, leisure, and socializing. A large wooden structure fosters warmth and acoustic comfort, while sunlight filters through a photovoltaic roof, enhancing the building’s sustainable design and creating a bright, inviting atmosphere.
△ Rendering of Johns Hopkins Student Center
“Great ideas and breakthroughs often happen away from desks, when the mind is relaxed and open to imagination and collaboration. The new Hopkins Student Center is designed to provide this essential ‘break’, complementing rigorous academic life and nurturing the next generation of scientists ready to make groundbreaking discoveries.” – Leon Rost, Partner at BIG
The indoor landscape rivals the adjacent Beach in spaciousness, featuring a series of staggered flexible spaces that lead to four redesigned public areas: an event-focused plaza, a tree-lined path through a small forest, an entrance plaza on 33rd Street, and a new food market and plaza to the south. The iconic red brick pathways of the Holmwood campus seamlessly weave through both the interior and exterior of the building.
△ Rendering of Johns Hopkins Student Center
The Village also revitalizes the surrounding landscape by creating outdoor spaces for student events and activities. The central square will accommodate pop-up exhibitions and performances, while small stalls and mobile food trucks will add vibrancy to the North Charles Street Trail. The open design allows natural light to flood through skylights, showcasing student life and the unique character of the university. The Village acts like a dynamic mosaic, evolving alongside the Hopkins community. Construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2022, with completion expected by fall 2024. This marks BIG’s third academic project in the U.S., following the Isenberg School of Management Business Innovation Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Arlington Public School teaching complex completed in 2019.
△ Rendering of Johns Hopkins Student Center
Project Information
Project Name: Hopkins Student Center
Procurement Method: Design Competition
Project Area: 13,935 m²
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Client: Johns Hopkins University
Partners: Shepley Bulfinch (Architectural Design), Rockwell Group (Interior Design), Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (Landscape Design)
Main Creative Team: Bjarke Ingels, Leon Rost
Co-Creator: Elizabeth McDonald
Lead Architects: Jason Wu, Lawrence Olivier Mahadoo
Design Team: Alex Wu, Xi Zhang, Chia-Yu Liu, Guillaume Evain, Jakub Kulisa, Kig Veerasunthorn, Mike Munoz, Tom Lasbrey, Tony Saba Shiber, Blake Smith, Corliss Ng, Florencia Kratsman, Francesca Portesine, Jamie Maslyn Larson, Gabriel Jewell-Vitale, Kevin Pham, Josiah Poland, Jialin Yuan, Ken Chongsuwat, Duncan Horswill, Ben Caldwell, Margaret Tyrpa, Terrence Chew, Tracy Sodder, Chris Pin, Alexander Matthias Jacobson, Tore Banke, Frederic Lucien Engasser, Xingyue Huang, Jesper Petersen, Kaoan Hengles
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