St. Ignatius College Prep, Chicago

Gentile Gym

*Fenwick at St. Ignatius, Friday, December, 9, 2016 In Chicago. Part of the photo series Illustrious: The Best High School Basketball Gyms in Illinois. (Photo copyright of Vincent D. Johnson)*

To steal a phrase from Doctor Who, St. Ignatius’ Gentile Gym is bigger on the inside. Well, not really, but the gym’s high ceilings end up being a surprise when looking at it from the outside. Thanks to a mostly below ground-level build, the exterior size doesn’t match the interior.

The St. Ignatius 3rd Floor Gym

Located on the third floor, it serves as mostly a practice space and auxiliary gym for underclassmen games. Part of the photo series Illustrious: The Best High School Basketball Gyms in Illinois. (Photo copyright of Vincent D. Johnson)

Unless you’re a dedicated parent who made all your child’s freshman away games, you’ve probably never seen this gym at St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago. Despite the look of some of the faux columns and windows, modeled after the school’s 1880s Italianate design giving it an older look, the gym was constructed roughly around 2006. What really sets it apart though is its view of the Chicago skyline.