The Deconstruction, Reconstruction, and Redesign of Hobey Baker Memorial Rink

Abstract

Hobey Baker Memorial Rink, located on Princeton University’s campus, is the second oldest rink still existing in the country, thus contributing decades of history and meaning to the college hockey and Princeton community. However, there is a possibility that the rink will no longer be standing based on the 2026 Princeton Campus Plan which mentions the relocation of Princeton athletic facilities to the Lake Campus in order to make room for a new residential college. In order to maintain the core history of college hockey that comes with it, this thesis will look into how the current rink can be deconstructed, relocated, and redesigned to influence the future engineering and architectural firms hired for the new facility. Studies and interviews/meetings led to the analysis of the deconstruction and redesign of the steel truss system where new steel members are connected to the original truss through analyses using finite element engineering software. The conclusions drawn from this thesis will serve as the catalyst to the method of reusing and integrating old material with new.