The Grille

Middlebury College

What do you do with an abandoned indoor swimming pool? At Middlebury College, you turn it into The Grille, a popular student center that bustles with activity late into the night.

The intent behind the Grille was to create an on-campus alternative to local bars and restaurants by providing the kinds of amenities in high demand by college students. The two-level space includes a dining area with full-service kitchen, a juice bar, a sound stage with dance floor, meeting areas, a quiet entry lounge, a ticket office, large screen theater, and a large billiards pavilion.

Each of the interlocking spaces are distinct in character and feature custom fabrics, furnishings, lighting, and signage, creating the look and feel of an exterior nightscape. Many of the finishes and furnishings were custom made by local craftspeople.

More than twenty years after it first opened, the Grille remains a Middlebury favorite – serving as testimony to the value of enduring design.