Beloit College Powerhouse

Don’t let that smokestack fool you—this is no factory. This is the Beloit College Powerhouse, a $38 million project that repurposed the decommissioned Blackhawk Generating Station into a 120,000 sq. ft. student union, recreation center, and athletics facility on the Rock River.

The Powerhouse is a first-of-its-kind facility in the country designed by the world-renowned architectural firm, Studio Gang. In 2018, the project received the top prize at the World Architecture Festival.

The founder of Studio Gang, Jeanne Gang, was named the 2016 Architect of the Year by Architectural Review. In 2019, Time magazine named her one of its 100 most influential people in the world, and she is currently among USA Today’s “Inspiring Illinois Women of the Century” along with Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey.

On Monday, September 14, 2020, Beloit College was ranked #5 on U.S. News’ list of Most Innovative National Liberal Arts Colleges in America—the only Midwestern college to rank in the top five.

The Riverwalk that you see in these photos is newly constructed. A public-private partnership including Alliant Energy, Beloit 200, Beloit College, City of Beloit, Kerry Ingredients, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, and Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation made the project happen.

This completed section fills in an 850-foot gap in public access to fills in the missing connection between Beloit College, downtown businesses, and the future Minor League baseball stadium currently under construction.

Get more information about the Powerhouse here.