THE ARCHITECTURE
A place by, for, and about women.
We believe the capacities of women to address the issues of our day haven’t yet been fully tapped. Women think, collaborate, and take on the work of the world differently. To unleash that potential, we need more settings empowering of women. The mission of the Women’s Leadership Center at Williams Bay is to provide that setting.
A Gift of Ice and Time
As glaciers from the last ice age retreated 10,000 years ago, they left behind rolling hills and pristine lakes across southeast Wisconsin. The first human inhabitants of this area were Native Americans; once explorers discovered Geneva Lake in the 1830s, growth followed rapidly. Wealthy Chicagoans built homes here after the Great Fire of 1871, followed by numerous religious and social justice summer camps. In 1897, the University of Chicago selected Willliams Bay as home for its Yerkes Observatory—a research facility that would be the birthplace of modern astrophysics. Our design weaves together the spirit of the campfire with the rich traditions of discovery, creativity, and service that imbue this land.
A Place of Light … and Shadow
Our campus nestles among hundreds of trees in an old-growth oak forest. In designing our buildings, a big question was how to welcome in as much natural light as possible while living in harmony with the woods.
The answer: Crown shyness. Botany says that trees in a forest organically create openings in the canopy where branches don’t overlap. These natural openings filter light through the leaves to the forest floor. We call these natural openings“crown shyness.”
Studio Gang leveraged the concept of crown shyness to mimic how sunlight streams through trees in a forest and — via “crown shy-lights” (or skylights) — to enhance illumination in our buildings by gently inviting in more daylight and warmth. Along with the shy-lights, a unifying architectural motif is a leaf shape. Look for it in the silhouette of the Lodge, which is comprised of four leaf-shaped structures; it’s also repeated in the giant Great Room shy-light, the outline of the Treehouse library, in the design of the Lodge carpet and sofas, and as a decorative element on the dining room ceiling.
A Gathering of Circles and Curves
The campfire motif is an important element in the Center’s design. Our buildings are configured to encourage connection and sharing in the ancient tradition of camp and campfires. As you walk through campus, notice the graceful, simple arcs and circles everywhere. Our building walls curve; our stairways ascend in spirals; even our driveway and sidewalks meander through campus. We use circles and curves to suggest creativity, connection and flow—all part of our mission to inspire women leaders.
Above all, we want to live in a world where people not only coexist but actively support one another as part of a greater, thriving network of living things. This has been a driving force for our design, which aims to foster creativity and collaboration while embracing the natural beauty and ecology of Geneva Lake.
– Jeanne Gang, Lead Designer & Founding Partner, Studio Gang
Explore Inside the Center
Click below to learn more about inside the center and each individual building.
Tour the Campus
Designed by globally renowned architect Jeanne Gang and the award-winning team at Studio Gang, the campus of the Women’s Leadership Center is a truly unique space. See what sustainability-conscious architecture and construction look like in a beautiful setting overlooking Geneva Lake.
