About the Project
The new Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center will be the second building project of the Master Plan and the third project overall. Construction is currently underway and expected to complete in 2023.
In the Bakke (bah-kee) Center, Active Badgers can look forward to square footage for wellbeing services (including spaces to support mental health), a 25-yard recreational pool, 8 basketball courts, an ice sheet, expanded fitness areas, multipurpose studios, and an indoor jogging track. To build upon our inclusive design efforts at the Nicholas Recreation Center, we will continue to prioritize an easy-to-navigate, efficient, and flexible building. There will also be all-gender showers and locker areas to accommodate all members and visitors.
Compared to the Nicholas Recreation Center’s bustling downtown location, we are excited for the unique opportunities this project presents, namely its proximity to Lake Mendota and the Lakeshore Path. We look forward to presenting campus with a unique facility that fulfills the needs of current and future Badgers to come.
Leave a Legacy
None of our building projects would be possible without the immense generosity of our friends and supporters. A donation to the new Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center will help us better support Badgers’ mental and physical health while shaping the future of recreation on campus for generations to come.
Live Building Usage
Level 1 Fitness
Level 2 Fitness
Level 3 Fitness
Level 4 Fitness
Bakke Track
Courts 1&2
Courts 3&4
Courts 5-8
Orbit
Willow Room
SubZero Ice Center
Cove Pool
Project Scope & Features
| Total Budget: $95 million |
| 270,087 gross square feet |
| 195,446 assignable square feet |
| 8 Basketball courts |
| 1/8 to 1/5 of a mile track |
| 25 yard recreation pool |
| Ice Center and hockey locker room |
| Men’s, Women’s and all gender locker room |
| 4 multipurpose studios |
| 33,778 sq ft of fitness space |
| Nap pod room |
| Teaching kitchen |
| Bouldering & climbing wall |
| 3 sport simulators |