A new transparent face to the city forms the College’s new primary campus entry. This project, as it breathes new life into an underutilized structure, becomes a vital intersection of art and design on campus and in the city.
Susan T. Rodriguez, Design Partner
Located at a critical intersection of campus and city on a dense and stylistically-varied block, the new Center connects the College to its surroundings with the transformation of a long-unutilized brick gymnasium.
MassArt’s spirit of design innovation and cross-disciplinary curriculum are translated into a four-story flexible system of studios, galleries and shared technical spaces.
Marking the entry to the building, a double-height lobby creates a memorable focal point upon arrival. A choreographed sequence of stairs and ramps improves internal circulation and ushers visitors to the major public spaces within, including a triple-height public atrium that serves as the central exhibition space.
On the foundations of the 1930s structure, a new monumental volume has been created, its glass façade a counterpoint to the opacity of the original building and a visual portal to and from the city, effectively revealing MassArt’s activity and creative curriculum.
The design of this building was an opportunity to take traditional practice and blend it with innovative thinking, and lay out the groundwork for what the future of art and design practice will be for the twenty-first century. That is the heart of MassArt and the focus of this building, and we are all very excited about moving forward as this promise materializes.
Ken Strickland, Interim President and Provost, MassArt
