Project Details
Michigan State University reached out to Jack Porter to fill a void within one of their most cherished spaces at the Breslin Student Events Center – the Secchia Champions Rotunda. Home to the University’s storied basketball programs, Breslin boasts practice facilities, a new museum, and the program offices. The rotunda, which serves as the first impression as recruits enter into program offices, once displayed trophies and uniforms. But with the relocation of the previous content to the new Hall of History, MSU now had a gap in that critical path.
Working with the MSU coaching staff and athletic administration, the design team developed several concepts for the space. Dreaming big at the onset inspired new ideas that resolved themselves to what Coach Izzo called “The Elite of the Elite,” a tribute to retired Spartan numbers, the most significant honor a player can achieve. The space recognizes the best players to have graced the Spartan basketball court over the years, showcasing a legacy that spans generations, from Magic Johnson to Mateen Cleaves.
To tell the story, JP played off the architecture of the space itself. The light in the space is very important to the staff and building; and so, beneath the skylight, centrally-located is internally-lit custom casework featuring each individual retired number. The Spartan helmet is displayed in the center of the room and sits atop the Spartan sword. Players and aspiring athletes can touch the helmet and read about the legends who have gone before them. Panels along the back wall of the rotunda feature list All-American and All-Conference honors and in a refined yet easily updatable system. After all, they may have a storied past, but the Spartans have only just begun.
