field trip: saarinen’s MIT chapel
I had an unexpected mid-century architectural treat this weekend. While tagging along with Chad on a photo job at MIT, I wondered into what looked like a brick silo to find one of the prettiest spaces I’ve ever been in. The Kresge Chapel was made by Eero Saarinen in 1954, and while it’s far more serene and calming than his mod TWA terminal at JFK, it’s just as powerful. A short walkway of stained glass leads you into a circular room with a beaming skylight. Raining down is screen of floating metal by Harry Bertoia. Around the building is deeply set moat, with low placed windows that allow the water to bounce reflectively off of undulating walls. I’m sure the room was supposed to be invocative of the Pantheon, but I couldn’t help but think of the deck of the Starship Enterprise. It will give me something to smile about while spending the day surrounded by Saarinen’s executive chairs in my Herman Miller furnished office building. (Thanks Christine, for showing me!) — Angela M.
August 14th, 2006 at 8:55 am
I’ve lived in MA nearly my whole life, and I’ve found out about so many local architectural treasures in the past few months on blogs like this. Thanks!
August 20th, 2006 at 1:28 pm
thank you for posting this. it reminded me of the times I used to go to mass at the chapel (while at school in MA) - it’s a beautiful building - i especially love the floating pieces.
August 22nd, 2006 at 6:23 pm
hi angela! so glad that it was a beautiful day and you could espy some of the architectural gems tucked away on campus. i confess that i’ve never been to mass, but the chapel is one of my favourite spaces at mit. the interior brilliantly mixes organic movements with a spine of restraint. plus, the spacey abstract metal sculpture pitched atop the silo always keeps me guessing on its intent.
did you catch the le corbusier carpenter center in harvard square?