Designer Forum - October 2010

By Margaret McDonald

A small group of chess players conceived the idea for The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, a non-profit that is committed to making chess an important part of the community. The club provides in-school and after school scholastic chess programs and hosts competitive events for local players as well as international competitions.

The founders asked Arcturis, a St. Louis based architecture and design firm, to develop the brand and design for the club. Our team moved quickly into programming and took a deep dive into the game’s rules, history and culture.

As designers, we were faced with a unique and exciting program with conflicting goals. The club was brand new, but we wanted to create a space that felt as if it had history and provenance. Our concept became a contemporary interpretation of a traditional private club. We benchmarked clubs and found inspiration in the history of the sport of chess.

A historical building located in the Central West End neighborhood of Saint Louis, Missouri was selected for the club. The space is 6,000 square feet and occupies three levels. The project is an adaptive reuse of residential and retail space. However, the multiple levels and past functions of the space posed a design challenge: how to incorporate the program while creating logical flow and movement to the spaces. An existing staircase was removed and walls were opened, creating flow and offering access to another set of stairs. The Club and Scholastic Center program includes reception, lounge, retail, open and private game rooms, classrooms, a resource library, and a staff/catering kitchen, as well as an outside play area.

The interiors of the Chess Club and Scholastic Center capitalize on the decorative 20th century architecture of the building, highlighting original ornamentation and exposing brick walls and skylights. As we started to develop the palette and make material selections, we wanted to use textures and materials that reinforced the purpose of the spaces. Flooring solutions were selected to support function and concept.

Early in the design process, the team was inspired by the strong contrast of color of chess pieces and chess boards. As we developed the palette, our challenge was how to make the club inviting to children as well as adults. The color palette is based on black and white, echoing the color graphics of a chess board. The selection of bright grass green adds dimension and youth to the palette. Pops of gold and chocolate are used throughout for warmth.

The design team decided to use a mixture of hard and soft flooring materials to support the concept and function of the club. The historical building that was selected had wonderful hard materials that we used to contrast soft new materials. The existing decorative metal ceiling, painted brick walls and wood details were all maintained and developed to create the club look. The textures created from the contrasting floor materials help support a rich, club-like feel.

For the project, we chose to use flooring materials as both bold accents and more subtle sophisticated complements. On the first floor, we wanted the feel to be dynamic and lively, so we were comfortable using a solid wood floor. We hoped to salvage the original wood floor, which had a great deal of character and texture, long planks and a great patina. However, once we completed demolition, we realized that the existing wood was thin in several areas, and we would not be able to refinish it. Instead, we selected a new solid red oak wood that we stained a deep chocolate brown. The dark wood floor immediately provides an aura of history upon entering the club.

In the club’s private boardroom, we again used the red oak with the deep chocolate stain. However, in this space, we installed the wood in a herringbone pattern. The pattern adds texture and interest, and helps set the room apart from the other spaces. The installation required additional labor and attention during installation.

Acoustics were a factor in the selection of the flooring. The game of chess requires deep concentration, and we selected carpet tile in all of the competitive player areas and on the stairs to help soften the sound. On the staircase to the second floor, we applied Bentley Prince Street’s Kings Road solid cut pile in a bright grass green. The stairs are long and narrow, and the vivid green is a bit of a surprise.

Upstairs in the two open-play rooms, we selected carpet tile from InterfaceFlor’s Black and White Collection. The play areas were designed to accommodate day-to-day open play as well as competitions. We chose carpet tile to accommodate our acoustic, performance and cost needs. The Black and White Collection was a perfect choice to reinforce the colors of the chess board, and the multiple patterns in the collection allowed us to create rugs and helped to delineate space in the open rooms. The pattern brings energy and pattern to the space while completing the palette of the club and ornamentation of the building.

For the lower level library, lounge and classrooms, we again selected a carpet tile. Since these rooms are below grade with no access to daylight, we used InterfaceFlor’s Soft Sisal carpet tile that offered a more relaxed feel to the space.

For the restrooms throughout the club, the design team chose black and white ceramic tile installed in a pinwheel pattern using black grout. The small tiles reflect the historical context of the building, and the colors reinforce the chessboard palette. For each restroom, we selected a different black and white bold pattern wall covering. Each room offers a subtle twist from the central concept.

Designers have access to a broad selection of flooring materials. Transitions from materials and textures make a space more visually interesting and are often appropriate for function and acoustics. One of our challenges in this project, however, was using restraint in our selections and keeping the palette tight. We repeated materials and colors, knowing that the minimal pattern would be dramatic and bold.

Maintenance was another significant factor in the selection of the materials. Club members are allowed to bring in food and drink, and the club also hosts receptions and events. We knew it was important to select materials that would hold up to the program. The wood floors on the first floor are durable, and the dark color helps to hide whatever might be tracked in by guests. The black grout on the bathroom floor helps disguise the discoloration that eventually occurs. And even though the carpet palette contains white, the decorative patterning helps hide stains. If staining does occur, the ruined tile can be easily pulled up and replaced.

The complementing furniture was carefully designed and selected to support the design concept. The custom reception desk incorporates black and white materials and features turned wood legs that reflect the shape of chess pieces. Custom chairs and tables were designed for the comfort of the players. Overall, materials were selected for their hand, durability and color saturation. The goal was to create a space that was inviting and functional for all ages and experience levels.

Contrasting the historical atmosphere of the Chess Club and Scholastic Center is the latest in education and hospitality technology. Education and game enhancement are integrated throughout the club. Cameras, flat screens and electronic chess boards allow an audience to gather and watch a game, even in another part of the club. Multiple flat screens and flexible furniture allow the instructor to teach players in the most conducive setting. The lighting was designed to have multiple levels to support education, matches and entertaining. Museum-quality video art installations by Diana Thater, a Los Angeles based visual artist, celebrate famous chess games of the 20th century.

The design team developed the logo and brand with reference to Saint Louis heritage and the club’s location. The logo is used repeatedly in the space on furniture, pillows and artwork to reinforce the club feel.

Since the club’s opening in July of 2008, it has exceeded its membership goals and also has had the honor of hosting the U.S. Chess Championship and the U.S. Women’s Tournament in both 2009 and 2010. This summer, the United States Chess Federation named the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis its Chess Club of the Year.

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