The building will serve as the front door to welcome Washington University in St. Louis alumni when they return to the Danforth Campus, and as a hub for students, alumni and employers to interact in various ways, including on-campus interviews, networking and recruiting events. The more than 30,000-square-foot, three-story building was designed by St. Louis-based Christner Architects and Clayco will be the contractor.
The center’s interior was designed to facilitate impromptu connections between students, alumni, employers, campus visitors and staff. It will include a dedicated employer lounge, rooms for interviews and career coaching and other flexible, mixed-use spaces. A large, shared event space on the third floor will accommodate career workshops, networking panels, reunion gatherings and more.
The first floor will also contain a student lounge; a library containing alumni memorabilia; and a clothing closet where students can access professional attire for interviews. Finally, echoing the open, green expanses on the Danforth Campus, the first floor will open onto a tree-lined courtyard.
The building, on the southwest corner of the intersection of Forsyth and Skinker boulevards, will be named the Neil S. Hirsch Center in recognition of a pledge to support the facility from the Neil S. Hirsch Foundation. Set to open in early 2027, the Hirsch Center will strengthen career engagement and alumni services by bringing these activities together under one roof, according to Anna Gonzalez, vice chancellor for student affairs.
Washington University in St. Louis and Clayco officially broke ground on the new Neil S. Hirsch Center, a more than 30,000-square-foot facility designed to foster meaningful, real-world connections between students, alumni, and employers.
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