Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Boston-based designLAB architects were appointed by Harvard Real Estate to revitalize Sackler Museum at Harvard University and redesign the whole structure of 485 Broadway street, originally designed in 1985, by renowned British architect, James Stirling.
This renovation project has been recently awarded a 2021 American Award for Architecture from The Chicago Athenaeum and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
Stirling—the third winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize—organized the building around a monumental staircase.
This central spine naturally lit from a skylight above, served as the primary circulation and organizing feature to move museum patrons from the main gallery spaces on the 4th, 2nd, and 1st levels.
This approach toward the monumental stair from the three-story entry lobby is the signature feature of Stirling’s design.
At the time of construction, the building was considered remarkable for its distinctive originality and creative accommodation of its functions on a constrained site.
Today, Stirling’s work at Harvard remains widely regarded as one of the foremost examples of post-modern architecture.
For nearly 30 years, the museum hosted Harvard’s collections of ancient, Indian, Islamic and Asian art in addition to the History of Art + Architecture (HAA) Department.
In 2013, the Harvard Art Museums at 32 Quincy Street underwent an expansion and renovation that consolidated the artwork housed across the university’s three museums—the Fogg, the Busch-Reisinger, and the Sackler—under one roof, leaving 485 Broadway underutilized.
Once the galleries were vacated, an internal planning effort outlined a project that would significantly reconfigure spaces to support two new programs, as well as a number of required updates, modernizations, and repairs.
In 2016, designLAB architects were selected to lead this complex re-planning and renovation of the 46,000 SF building, transforming its galleries and museum support spaces into dynamic learning environments for Harvard’s Graduate School of Design (GSD), HAA Department, and the new Art Making ‘Annex.’
The challenge for the design team came in balancing the building’s rich architectural legacy with its new programmatic demands.
The elemental forms of this post-modern masterpiece were preserved, including the entry lobby, main stair, auditorium colonnade, and primary facades.
Contemporary studios and classrooms with state-of-the-art technology mingle with these original features to create a compelling interaction between old and new.
The reinvented 485 Broadway has resulted in a more dynamic and vibrant environment than the original, supporting a variety of contemporary pedagogies with fresh, new learning environments for each department.
After developing a detailed program and defining necessary adjacencies with the three user groups, the team worked through multiple planning iterations to adapt layouts that work with the unforgiving existing plan configuration.
Collaborating closely with faculty and administration, two strategies emerged for transforming the galleries: for some programs, utilizing the previously sub-divided gallery footprints yielded right-sized learning environments and so a more preservationist attitude was adopted; for others, combining the formerly separate galleries into one larger space afforded the most flexibility.
The team also added openings in the corridor walls that flank the monumental stair, providing access to natural light and views, and enhancing navigation and communication within the building.
In doing so, the design team reinvented the building as an open and collaborative learning environment without compromising Stirling’s original vision.
The former museum’s upper galleries with linear monitors were updated with appropriate room-darkening shades, high-resolution projectors, and sound absorption to support the HAA department’s classroom and seminar spaces.
A new student lounge, or “living room,” includes soft seating, a reintroduced large window looking towards the Fogg Museum, and ample shelving for books, artifacts, and resources that support faculty and graduate student discourse.
The large, open “lofts” for the GSD are lined with tackable surfaces for pin-ups and studio critiques. The shared auditorium was upgraded with a new rake to meet accessibility requirements, as well as a new seating for improved sightlines, and critical updates to lighting, AV equipment, and acoustics.
On the first floor, a 100-seat multi-use performance space can support a variety of programs, from theatrical performances to lectures, to gallery events.
Adjacent to this space is a workroom that doubles as a green room, classroom, or studio space for students and visiting artists. The main circulation spine through the first floor dually functions as a public gallery, as it navigates through three feet of elevation change.
The transformed 485 Broadway reopened in the spring of 2019. In the months since, students of the GSD, HAA department, and Arts Annex have made the building into their home, bringing energy, innovation, and arts-related discourse into the new spaces.
Their academic work has been enriched by the opportunity to explore art and architecture within James Stirling’s iconic building, drawing inspiration from the very spaces in which they study.
Project: 485 Broadway Renovation
Architects: designLAB architects
Original Architects: James Sterling (1985)
Client: Harvard Real Estate
Contractor: BOND Building
Photographers: Anton Grassl
