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Eero Saarinen Travel: Back to School Edition

July 25, 2008 at 12:00 PM | 0 Comments

If you've been following this week's coverage of Eero Saarinen, then today's focus should be instantly recognizable. Constructed between 1953 and 1955, the Kresge Auditorium at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology displays many of the themes that we've seen in his works so far. The building was named in honor of S. S. Kresge, founder of the company that would later become K-Mart. Although not a graduate of MIT, he apparently had some pretty strong cash reserves.

The building's dome rises to a height of 50 feet before plummeting to the earth in three sharp corners. The copper-clad roof appears to be supported by sheer glass walls that provide stunning reflections of other buildings in the area. Of course, the interior has unobstructed views due to the lack of interior supports and offers outstanding acoustics. The building was designed with it's sister facility in mind, the MIT Chapel.

The chapel is a non-denominational facility that sits next to the auditorium across the green, or Kresge Oval. The building sits as a brick cylinder without any windows, a much different feel than many of Saarinen's designs. The only appearance of arches are towards the bottom of the building providing support to the brickwork. Birch trees surround the building, selected by Saarinen to provide peace and quiet to the space. The most striking work sits inside, above the marble altar, a metal sculpture catching the light falling from above.

Related Stories:
· Kresge Auditorium [MIT]
· Eero Saarinen Travel Map [Jaunted]
· Architecture Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photos: Wikimedia, Viejito]

Where: 48 Massachusetts Ave. [map], Cambridge, MA, United States

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Author Photo: kjb by kjb

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