Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination.” The Institute for Advanced Study may have had this idea of Einstein’s (who worked at the IAS for over 20 years until the time of his death in 1955) in mind when looking for an architecture firm to design its new Rubenstein Commons. Ultimately, IAS decided the most imaginative and, therefore, intelligent design belonged to Steven Holl Architects and awarded the firm the project.
The new Rubenstein Commons, which is named after David Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of the Carlyle Group, is set to be an approximately 20,000-sf structure at the center of the IAS campus meant to encourage interactions among the institute’s diverse community of scholars.
The building will include social and meeting spaces with the purpose of promoting communication and collaboration and will also offer space to display images and materials that tell the story of the institute’s heritage, scholarly community, and current and future efforts.
As The New York Times reports, the building will have a patina copper roof and oak floors reminiscent of another building on the campus, Fuld Hall. This plays into the strategy the Director of the Institute, Robbert Dijkgraaf, laid out, saying the new building should be like “a family member with its own characteristics.”
In addition to blending in with other buildings already on the campus, the design will also blend in and “talk to” the surrounding landscape, as opposed to standing in contrast to it.
Along with Steven Holl Architects, MOS Architects, OMA, and Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects were also invited to submit proposals.
Other famous alumni of the Institute for Advanced Study include J. Robert Oppenheimer, Erwin Panofsky, and Hetty Goldman.
Fuld Hall
Aerial View of IAS Campus. Photo Credit: Hanno Rein, Wikimedia Commons
Related Stories
University Buildings | Jul 28, 2015
OMA designs terraced sports center for UK's Brighton College
Designs for what will be the biggest construction project in the school’s 170-year history feature a rectangular building at the edge of the school’s playing field. A running track is planned for the building’s roof, while sports facilities will be kept underneath.
University Buildings | Jul 21, 2015
Maker spaces: Designing places to test, break, and rebuild
Gensler's Kenneth Fisher and Keller Roughton highlight recent maker space projects at MIT and the University of Nebraska that provide just the right mix of equipment, tools, spaces, and disciplines to spark innovation.
Education Facilities | Jul 14, 2015
Chile selects architects for Subantarctic research center
Promoting ecological tourism is one of this facility’s goals
Museums | Jun 28, 2015
Manhattan's New Museum debuts first museum-led incubator space
Part studio, part shared workplace, part lab, and part professional development program, NEW INC connects design with technology, the arts with the market, students with seasoned practitioners, and the museum with the world.
Codes and Standards | Jun 18, 2015
New document addresses school safety and security
In an effort to balance security and fire safety features within codes, standards and planning, NFPA hosted a two-day workshop, “School Safety, Codes and Security”, last December. The findings are now available in an NFPA report.
BIM and Information Technology | May 27, 2015
4 projects honored with AIA TAP Innovation Awards for excellence in BIM and project delivery
Morphosis Architects' Emerson College building in Los Angeles and the University of Delaware’s ISE Lab are among the projects honored by AIA for their use of BIM/VDC tools.
University Buildings | May 19, 2015
Special Report: How your firm can help struggling colleges and universities meet their building project goals
Building Teams that want to succeed in the higher education market have to help their clients find new funding sources, control costs, and provide the maximum value for every dollar.
University Buildings | May 19, 2015
Renovate or build new: How to resolve the eternal question
With capital budgets strained, renovation may be an increasingly attractive money-saving option for many college and universities.
University Buildings | May 19, 2015
KU Jayhawks take a gander at a P3 development
The P3 concept is getting a tryout at the University of Kansas, where state funding for construction has fallen from 20% of project costs to about 11% over the last 10 years.
Cultural Facilities | May 15, 2015
Design for beekeeping facility in Tanzania by Jaklitsch/Gardner Architects unveiled
The developers say the center will be an important educational and vocational tool.
