The Hotchkiss School: The Center for Global Understanding and Independent Thinking

A hallway with white columns, light walls, and a wooden floor features a small antique wooden table against the back wall. On the table, there is a decorative vase with tall, bare branches. A glass lantern-style chandelier hangs from the ceiling above. View through wooden bookshelves into an elegant room with white walls, chandelier, flowers on the table, green chairs, patterned carpet, and a green sofa. A black wooden chair with a pink scarf sits near the doorway on a woven rug.
Elegant library with dark wood bookshelves full of books, a green marble fireplace, pink patterned sofas and ottoman, gold chandelier, side tables with flowers and lamps, and a portrait above the mantel. Natural light enters from the left.
Elegant room with cream paneled walls, chandeliers, a round wooden table with a tall pink floral arrangement, two green armchairs with floral pillows, floral curtains, and two dark vases on white pedestals. Large windows let in natural light.
Double dark wood doors are open, revealing a classic dining room with a chandelier, a long table, green chairs, and a painting above a mantel. The foreground has cream paneled walls, herringbone wood floor, and a green couch with a colorful bird pillow. Close-up of cream-colored wall paneling with decorative, molded trim. The panel features straight and curved lines, creating an elegant, classic architectural detail. The smooth surface and soft shadows highlight the three-dimensional design.
Elegant dining room with a long wooden table, eight cushioned chairs, brass chandelier, and display cabinets with white plates. Light gray paneled walls, hardwood floors, and an open doorway leading to a sitting room with a fireplace and framed art evoke the refined atmosphere often found at the Hotchkiss School—a place where independent thinking and global understanding are seamlessly encouraged through gracious spaces designed for thoughtful conversation.

The Hotchkiss School: The Center for Global Understanding and Independent Thinking

Built in 1938, Monahan Gymnasium was designed by Delano & Aldrich as part of the original Hotchkiss campus. PPA transformed the historic structure into a LEED-gold-certified multi-use facility to accommodate visiting scholars and conferences focused on international affairs. Working with BRB Architects, PPA preserved and restored the main facade and designed new interior spaces for the Alumni Center and the Center for Global Understanding & Independent Thinking. The adaptive reuse has a traditional style: the design for the new interiors of the 10,000 square foot second floor reflects Federal and Georgian precedents of similar Delano & Aldrich buildings on the campus, resulting in a series of club-like rooms which serve as settings for conferences and lectures. One room is fitted out as a state-of-the-art virtual conference room with complete AV and technical components to allow long distance conferences, lectures, and meetings. 

Partner-in-Charge: Peter Pennoyer

Design Director: Anton Glikin

Associate-in-Charge: Nebojsa Savic

Associates: Benjamin Sirota, Sean Blackwell

Executive Architects: Butler Rogers Baskett Architects

Interior Design: Carolyn Griffith

Photography: Joe Standart

A hallway with white columns, light walls, and a wooden floor features a small antique wooden table against the back wall. On the table, there is a decorative vase with tall, bare branches. A glass lantern-style chandelier hangs from the ceiling above.
View through wooden bookshelves into an elegant room with white walls, chandelier, flowers on the table, green chairs, patterned carpet, and a green sofa. A black wooden chair with a pink scarf sits near the doorway on a woven rug.
Elegant library with dark wood bookshelves full of books, a green marble fireplace, pink patterned sofas and ottoman, gold chandelier, side tables with flowers and lamps, and a portrait above the mantel. Natural light enters from the left.
Elegant room with cream paneled walls, chandeliers, a round wooden table with a tall pink floral arrangement, two green armchairs with floral pillows, floral curtains, and two dark vases on white pedestals. Large windows let in natural light.
Double dark wood doors are open, revealing a classic dining room with a chandelier, a long table, green chairs, and a painting above a mantel. The foreground has cream paneled walls, herringbone wood floor, and a green couch with a colorful bird pillow.
Close-up of cream-colored wall paneling with decorative, molded trim. The panel features straight and curved lines, creating an elegant, classic architectural detail. The smooth surface and soft shadows highlight the three-dimensional design.
Elegant dining room with a long wooden table, eight cushioned chairs, brass chandelier, and display cabinets with white plates. Light gray paneled walls, hardwood floors, and an open doorway leading to a sitting room with a fireplace and framed art evoke the refined atmosphere often found at the Hotchkiss School—a place where independent thinking and global understanding are seamlessly encouraged through gracious spaces designed for thoughtful conversation.

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