MIT.nano | Kendall Square | Cambridge

Anyone have any shots from across the river that they would care to share? My biggest aesthetic concern on this was that it was going to be encroaching on the iconic dome.
 
tangent said:
Anyone have any shots from across the river that they would care to share? My biggest aesthetic concern on this was that it was going to be encroaching on the iconic dome.
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I don't have shots from across the river, but local on campus you can see it peeking but not really encroaching. I think they purposefully kept the height low enough that it doesn't encroach.
 
The rule was that the building could not obscure any part of the Dome from the view corridor at Ames Street, between the Koch buildings.
 
That’s a new construction project, but I’m just noticing bee’s pics from 8/2 and looks like the nano is not quite finished- could this be possible? I remember this project under construction years ago - long enough ago that whighlander was frequently commenting on the updates. (??)
 
FK4 said:
That’s a new construction project, but I’m just noticing bee’s pics from 8/2 and looks like the nano is not quite finished- could this be possible? I remember this project under construction years ago - long enough ago that whighlander was frequently commenting on the updates. (??)
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They were relentless with the structural aspect to keep vibrations down, then put in a ton of technology and engineering elements within the structure and finishes, and the labs inside require a lot of complex, technical installations. That, combined with the quality finishes we're seeing on the outside and presumably inside adds a bit to the time line. I believe construction was originally scheduled "through 2017" and to be occupied in 2018, so they're not too far behind.
 
Nano tours being offered at Grand Openi8ng.

After six years of design and construction, MIT.nano will celebrate the completion of the facility at a Grand Opening Event on Oct. 4. Please join us for a day of activities including a symposium on the impact of nanoscale research and innovation with talks from leading MIT faculty, a ribbon cutting ceremony, art exhibitions, tours of the building, and more.

Interested in attending? Contact us at mitnano@mit.edu.
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mods, please mark this thread as "completed"
 
Official grand opening set for next week...

Meanwhile, a nice article telling the story of this cutting-edge facility and the role it will play in the research community:
https://news.mit.edu/2018/mit-nano-building-open-0924

From MIT News:
MIT-Nano-01_0.jpg
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^BTW, I know it's been said but it bears repeating: this thing is an absolute architectural gem. Form & function!

From MIT News:
Those who walk through the building’s sunlight-soaked corridors and galleries will notice walls surfaced with panels of limestone from the Yangtze Platform of southwestern China. The limestone’s delicate patterns of fine horizontal lines are made up of tiny microparticles, such as bits of ancient microorganisms, laid down at the bottom of primeval waters before dinosaurs roamed the Earth. The very newest marvels to emerge in nanotechnology will thus be coming into existence right within view of some of their most ancient minuscule precursors.
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All the scaffolding/construction barriers are finally down on the adjacent bldg (13), revealing the landscaping/hardscaping work heading toward Mass Ave. from the nano project.

Life has been breathed into what was previously a gritty lab-industrial alleyway. What a difference some green can make:
AaBAT2C.png


My understanding is that this hardscaping will continue the rest of the way toward Mass Ave. when the Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel Restoration (bottom left) takes place.
 
bigpicture7 said:
Life has been breathed into what was previously a gritty lab-industrial alleyway. What a difference some green can make:
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So true! There's green, and then there's green, and both will pay off for generations to come, one type of green providing shade and eye-appeal, the other green that built Nano and the rebuilt Wind Tunnel) paying off in more green in terms of new discoveries, new startups, new industries, new jobs, new benefits for the MIT community and beyond. The economic engine that is the underlying economic power of the Boston/Cambridge metro area is it's Universities and Colleges!
 
bigpicture7 said:
All the scaffolding/construction barriers are finally down on the adjacent bldg (13), revealing the landscaping/hardscaping work heading toward Mass Ave. from the nano project.

Life has been breathed into what was previously a gritty lab-industrial alleyway. What a difference some green can make:
AaBAT2C.png


My understanding is that this hardscaping will continue the rest of the way toward Mass Ave. when the Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel Restoration (bottom left) takes place.
Click to expand...

This is a big step among many making the more utilitarian side of the MIT an integral part of campus. This area was largely slapped together during war time and during the Cold War and has some great history of discovery and innovation that took place in some very bare bones and ugly buildings.
 
Has it been mentioned that Wilson, the author of this project is now part of HDR? Rest In Peace another Boston based design firm. This is not a new trend, just another domino to fall. It is likely that soon there will be more national firms than locals in this city and I would suggest that this is a bad thing for our built environment. If you hate non-contextual homogenization of design, this is bad news.

cca
 
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