Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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Earth and Environment Pavilion, Building 55

MIT is building an addition that adds space and programs to the Green Building (Building 54) and creates a vibrant hub for interdisciplinary environmental research and education.

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MIT Building 55 (rendering courtesy Anmahian Winton Architects)

Earth and Environment Pavilion, Building 55

21 Ames Street, Cambridge, MA

Status: In construction

Themes: Renovation and renewal
Sustainability
Enhancement of life and learning

Completion: 2023

MIT is building an addition that adds space and programs to the Green Building (Building 54) and creates a vibrant hub for interdisciplinary environmental research and education.

Overview

MIT Building 55 (rendering courtesy Anmahian Winton Architects)
MIT Building 55 at dusk (rendering courtesy Anmahian Winton Architects)
MIT Building 55 entrance (rendering courtesy Anmahian Winton Architects)
MIT Building 55 (rendering courtesy Anmahian Winton Architects)
MIT Building 55, view from Bldg 14 (rendering courtesy Anmahian Winton Architects)

Status

In construction

Completion Date

2023

Themes and priorities

Renovation and renewal
Sustainability
Enhancement of life and learning

The iconic Cecil and Ida Green Building (Building 54), designed by I.M. Pei and completed in 1964, is a 22-story Brutalist concrete tower. Currently home to MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS) and the MIT-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) Joint Program, the building is under construction with the goal of renovating its primary lecture hall and creating an addition (the Earth and Environment Pavilion, Building 55) that will serve as a new entrance for these programs. 

Three departments will be headquartered in the new addition: EAPS, the Institute’s academic home for fundamental scientific study of the Earth, its climate system, and the origins and evolution of planets; MIT’s Environmental Solutions Initiative (ESI), a campus-wide effort to foster interdisciplinary education programs and innovation in the domains of climate science and earth systems, urban infrastructure, and sustainability; and the MIT-WHOI Joint Program, one of the world’s most prestigious graduate degree programs in oceanography and applied marine science and engineering.

Building 55's gateway entrance to the co-located headquarters of EAPS, ESI, and the MIT-WHOI Joint Program will showcase Earth, environmental, and climate sciences research and education. The exterior of the Pavilion will be sheathed with an innovative system of wood composite panels overlaid with bracketed glass panels to reflect the surrounding trees and green space. Inside, the renovation of Lecture Hall 54-100 is expected to update and improve the hall’s accessibility, seating, and teaching technologies. The project includes a new lobby, atrium, and exhibition space; reception and office spaces; conference and study rooms; and classrooms. A seating area – the "Campus Living Room" – will provide a welcoming, centrally located space to linger and collaborate.

The project is designed to create a nexus of climate research, environmental innovation, and academic programs on campus.

Image credits

Courtesy Anmahian Winton Architects

Details

Address

21 Ames Street, Cambridge, MA

School or Unit

School of Science (SoS), MIT-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) Joint Program

Use

Academic

Project Team

Architect: Anmahian Winton Architects, Cambridge, MA
Construction manager: Barr & Barr, Natick, MA
MIT Team: Megan Kefalis, Lachlan Patterson, Todd Robinson

Scope

11,900 GSF

Map

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