Lighting the Next Era of Iowa Wrestling
The new University of Iowa Wrestling Training Center is home to one of the most legendary and globally respected wrestling programs. Completed in 2024, this expansive 39,000-square-foot facility hosts practices and training for Iowa’s men’s and women’s teams. As athletes settle into their new home and the season unfolds, the facility’s strategic design plays an important role in how they train, recover, and prepare for what awaits them on the mat.
An intense sport requires lighting of the same caliber. The building’s moody dramatics and bold architectural lines are paired with fixtures that echo the intensity of the sport while still delivering high-performance illumination. The challenge was selecting lighting bold enough to make a statement yet subtle enough not to distract the athletes and staff, a balance achieved through the collaboration of CSLA Iowa, Design Engineers, and Neumann Monson Architects.
Brands Used
Luminii, Lithonia, Gotham, Iguzzini, 3G Lighting, Ecosense Lighting, LLI Architectural Lighting, ETC
Wrestling Floor
In the Bob and Kathy Nicolls Wrestling Room -- the facility’s expansive, two-story training space -- high-performance linears by 3G Lighting deliver crisp, uniform illumination across nearly double the area of the former practice room. Ecosense’s RISE Quad fixtures add a focused punch, projecting nearly 5,000 lumens from one of the world’s smallest floodlights to highlight the adjacent wall logos with precision. Together, they create a bright, glare-free environment that allows athletes and coaches to devote their complete focus to technique, movement, and safety.
Weight Room
Next to the mats, this same fixture family -- now used in a direct/indirect distribution -- continues the visual language into the strength and conditioning spaces, allowing the lighting to transition seamlessly as athletes move through warm-ups, lifts, and recovery. The 3G Zoie Slot pendant fixture serves as the room’s workhorse, providing ample direct light to illuminate the entire space. Its wide indirect beam washes the ceiling panels between structural beams, while its 1.5" slim black profile blends into the architecture, creating a refined contrast that invites a second look. Throughout the facility, this synergy between lighting and design creates continuity wherever athletes go.
Atrium
Upstairs throughout the atrium and entry area, Luminii’s Kendo Surface Mount linear system elevates the trophy display cases, casting dot-free illumination that highlights historic milestones and the program’s celebrated legacy. Overhead, Gotham EVO2 cylinder fixtures hang discreetly within the metal-grate ceiling cloud. Uniformly spaced, these 2” pendants provide clean, focused light to the space honoring the university’s athletic achievements.
The Tunnel
The iconic underground tunnel connecting the training center to Carver-Hawkeye Arena features a custom RGBW Trick fixture by iGuzzini. Narrow beams of cool white and saturated yellow light stripe the blacked-out tunnel, creating a dramatic effect that builds momentum for each athlete as they make the walk from training to competition with Hawkeye pride.
Inside the Hawkeyes Tunnel Entrance
See how iGuzzini Trick fixtures and ETC lighting controls bring the tunnel to life on meet day.
*Video courtesy of the University of Iowa
Locker Rooms
The locker rooms feature LLI Architectural Lighting’s LED tapelight within covertly mounted extrusions. These thin channels of light reflect the Hawkeye gold along the team benches, illuminating the floor beneath the wrestlers’ feet for an energizing effect. The 3G Zoie direct/indirect slot fixture makes another appearance, evenly distributing light across the room with a 55° beam while complementing the ceiling beams with its narrow black housing. Its widespread indirect optic illuminates the ceiling while casting crisp, dramatic angles of light downward, giving the room an edgier look and feel.
The Exterior
Outside, every fixture is assigned a task. Discreet Gotham EVO2 fixtures in the soffits complement the architecture and reinforce the facility’s modern edge, while providing the right amount of light where it’s needed. Along pathways, pole-mounted Lithonia DSX fixtures keep the sidewalks safely lit, and Lithonia OLBF fixtures, neatly tucked into the shrubs, give life and dimension to the landscaping ensuring it does not fall flat. The result is an exterior lighting scheme that works hard without making itself the main event.
A Vision Brought to Life
This memorable project proves that illumination goes beyond simply lighting a building -- it enhances the culture and momentum of the athletes within. A bland lighting design would have diminished the architectural vision and done a disservice to the bold identity of Iowa Wrestling. By curating a lighting composition that honors the program’s past, elevates its present, and recognizes its forward-thinking future, Iowa wrestlers can be inspired to bring their best to the mat and carry on the Hawkeye legacy.
