Gerald Ratner Athletics Center, Chicago

The architecture of this facility breaks up the volumes and sets one wing back to create a plaza that leads to a welcoming rotunda. Inside the lobby, you can spot the very first Heisman Trophy, awarded in 1935 to Jay Berwanger, a University of Chicago halfback. The design of the natatorium and gymnasium buildings incorporates mast-and-cable roof supports, drawing inspiration from the flying buttresses of the Gothic architecture seen throughout the university's campus. In a nutshell, this is the Gerald Ratner Athletics Center, a $51 million sports facility situated within the University of Chicago campus in the Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side.

Since its inauguration in 2003, the expansive 150,000-square-foot structure has garnered numerous accolades. In its first year of operation alone, organizations such as the American Council of Engineering Companies, the American Institute of Steel Construction, and the Consulting Engineers Council of Illinois all lauded its excellence in engineering and design. One of the most striking features is the suspended roof, which hangs suspended by cables connected to five towering masts that reach an impressive 100 feet above the ground.

Moreover, the center is renowned for its world-class facilities: it features the 50-meter x 25-yard Myers-McLoraine Swimming Pool, the Bernard DelGiorno Fitness Center, a multipurpose dance studio, competition and auxiliary gymnasia, classroom and meeting room space, and permanent day lockers. Besides serving the university and medical center communities, the facility is open to staff, alumni, retirees, students, and local residents. Ratner also serves as practice space for the UChicago basketball, volleyball, and wrestling teams, complete with a 1,658-seat competition gymnasium for showcasing them.

Unfortunately, access is restricted, but you can admire this impressive structure from a distance.