2008 FAB AWARD – Restaurant/Retail

Studio Hive, Inc.

Gopher Spot Bowling and Convenience Store

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The opening of the 2006/07 academic school year brought exciting new changes to the University of Minnesota St. Paul Student Center. The once “hole-in-the-wall” Gopher Spot Bowling and Convenience Store relegated to the basement level of the building has now become a destination spot beyond a quick coffee stop for students, faculty, and community birthday parties.

As the only entertainment establishment on the St. Paul Campus, the Gopher Spot plays many different roles on the campus – convenience store, bowling alley, game room, lounge, and party venue. During the week, this 9,000 SF space is abuzz with students – a place to grab your morning muffin, shoot a game of pool, or bowl a strike. By weekend, the Gopher Spot is host to several community birthday parties which take advantage of the three newly added party rooms and audio/visual enhancements.

One of the most challenging issues was to allow for clear definition of the three primary functions of bowling, convenience store, and game room while visually presenting them as one cohesive space. Windowed seats, careful selection of wall demolition, and a wider more welcoming main entry all contribute to keeping functions within clear view of one another. The use of a bold, fresh color palette, artistic expression of pattern and graphics, and the brilliant use of bowling pins as a building material communicate offerings and services available within the space. The circular window seats in the existing bowling lane wall recaptured “lost” real estate in an existing wall now used for studying or lounging. The new diner-style serving counter also invites students and faculty to stay and linger.

This project exemplifies why good design is also good for business. As a result of the improvements, overall transactions have increased by 40%.

DESIGN TEAM & SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS

Shawn Gaither Project Architect
Anne Olson Interior Designer
Megan Gorden Interior Designer
Jennifer Stumm Job Captain

Knutson Construction General Contractor

Studio Hive, Inc. website