Back in April while attending ROFLCon, which was held at MIT in Cambridge, I spent some time wondering around the MIT campus shooting some photos.
One of the places I made a point of checking out was the very unique building that is home to the Ray and Maria Stata Center which was built by the legendary offbeat architect Frank Gehry. The Stata Center is home to MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), created in 2003 by the merger of the Artificial Intelligence Lab and the Laboratory for Computer Science.
Unfortunately a bit of controversy surrounds the building. Last year MIT sued Frank Gehry and the construction company over design and construction failures.
photo gallery: Stata Center by Frank Gehry
photos by Scott Beale
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I walk by this building frequently on my way to work. MIT is beginning to build some unconventional structures (Simmons Hall is another example).
Unfortunately, the architect did not plan for snow. When snow falls on the steeply sloping metal roof over the entrance, it collects and then slides down onto pedestrians. MIT has to rope off the area in the winter.
The current shining example of the Doctor Seuss School of Architecture.
Aside from the snow issues, there are some severe roof leakage problems, as well.
great pix Scott! How amazing that thing is. This is a building which deserves a Danny Elfman soundtrack.
There was a good article in Fast Company about how unhappy MIT is with the building
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/122/lost-in...
check out the article in NYTimes today, 2/11/09 about the proposed gehry bldg. near the brooklyn bridge. I guess i just don’t get Gehrys work, i don’t like it at all and i do not think it will get better w/age. I am in new york city for a few months and as i look at the newer stuff i am constantly thinking…can’t they build wonderful decent looking skyscrapers anymore? klbazur
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