forward-thinking yet respectful of the past
REFLECT/REFRACT acknowledges dual needs at MIT's school of architecture and planning (sa+P):
First, a need to commemorate the department's history on an ever-changing campus
second, a need for modern communal and academic spaces
With MIT SA+P set to relocate its historic home in 2026, REFLECT/REFRACT endeavors to archive and celebrate that history by creating a space for community gathering and architecture appreciation.
reflecting
The site is a rectilinear lot on campus, bordered on four sides by academic buildings.
REFLECT/REFRACT’s form is a reflection and reinterpretation of the portion of these buildings occupied by SA+P.
These classrooms, lounges, cafes, and spaces have long been the hub for architecture at MIT.
refracting
the three most striking features of REFLECT/REFRACT are its stilts, glass dome, and secondary interior.
The lot on which the project is situated has historically been used for accessible parking and student activities. Raising the building on stilts allows the lot to continue to be accessible, both by wheel and on foot.
And while the glass dome bears some similarity to the concrete one on which it’s based, its transparency allows light to penetrate into the space year-round.
revitalizing
The second, third, and fourth floors of REFLECT/REFRACT all have donut-like holes cut into them, with skybridges connecting the outer rings to the inner platforms.
Anyone walking along these skybridges can see all the way up to the glass dome; similarly, sunlight can penetrate all the way down to the base of the building.
These inner portions form a “secondary interior” for the project, and house spaces for architectural intimacy (a two-story gallery on the first and second floors, an archive on the third floor, and a community space on the fourth).
