Conceived as an expansion of the I.M. Pei designed Weisner Building (1985), the architects were charged with designing a structure that would increase the capacity of the existing structure without altering its dynamics. The new 6-floor building, completed in 2009, is connected to the older structure, adding 163,000 ft2 of space, described by MIT Capital Projects as follows:
Both functionally advanced and architecturally distinguished, the complex is an ideal home for technological innovation, design, and the arts at MIT. Inside the new structure’s airy glass and metal framework, nine flexible laboratories are organized around a soaring central atrium. Clustering rows of offices around the labs encourage creative interaction, and transparent partitions offer extended sightlines through the building in every direction, allowing multiple activities to be seen from any vantage point. The building also contains top-floor event and display spaces, lecture and conference rooms, and a cafe – all overlooking the Charles River and the Boston skyline.
Source:
“MIT Capital Projects: Media Lab Complex, Building E14.” n.d. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Accessed September 6, 2022. https://capitalprojects.mit.edu/projects/media-lab-complex-e14. Archived at https://perma.cc/Y4EQ-QKLP.
