The Ray and Maria Stata Center for Computer, Information and Intelligence Sciences, 32 Vassar Stree, Cambridge, MA
Gehry Partners LLP with Cannon Design, 2004, Landscape: Olin Partnership, 2004
I was inspired to highlight 31 buildings in Boston in 31 days after the architecture blog A Daily Dose of Architecture . Not only was I going to highlight 31 buildings, but 31 of Bostonian’s favorite buildings. This is the series.
About the Ray and Maria Stata Center:
The Stata Center was also considered by the Boston Herald as one of the buildings designed in the last decade that placed Boston on the architectural world map. Designed by Gehry Partners with Cannon Design, the building’s warped metallic surfaces, irregular angles and multicolored façade are all typical Frank Gehry traits.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stata Center
Todd Larson
/ October 29, 2010Love it or hate it, this is a surefire attention-grabber for all of the characteristics you describe above. It is one of my favorite MIT buildings, boldly breaking the box of functionalist convention MIT had confined itself to (except for the courageous curves of Saarinen’s Kresge Auditorium and Chapel and Aalto’s Baker House, fine precedents for the Stata Center). Greater Boston’s conservative architectural climate hasn’t lent itself to enough radical, irreverent buildings, which makes the Stata Center most welcome around here.