Campus og studiemiljø - Bygningsstyrelsen

i
d
den omkringliggende by. / the surrounding
city.
det nye ”stata Center” af Frank gehry og
den gamle hovedbygning. / the new ‘stata
Center’ by Frank gehry and the old main
building.
sports grounds, cultural facilities and a small
number of retailers.
The buildings in the academic area are dominated
by the university’s earliest building,
a structure consisting of long connected
corridors. The central corridor connects completely
different academic areas and is MIT’s
‘catwalk’ where you go to see and be seen.
Both parts of campus are graced with a
number of buildings designed by worldfamous
architects. MIT has a long-standing
tradition for attracting such architects, as
innovative architecture is seen as part of
the university’s profile. However, the iconographic
and at times expressive buildings
such as Frank Gehrys ‘Stata Center’ lend a
fragmented character to the campus.
There is no focus on the space between the
buildings, and at present the number of
inviting city spaces is limited. There are ex-
ceptions, however, such as the monumental
lawn by the river, which is transformed into
the school’s ceremonial hall in connection
with diploma ceremonies in addition to the
more informal and intimate everyday use.
The slogan: ‘At MIT we don’t walk – we run’
indicates that the MIT user does not walk
aimlessly around campus but moves with
a purpose. The experience between arrival
and departure then becomes meaningful,
which can be a possible explanation for
the limited focus on the space between the
buildings.
As a result of MIT’s unusually strong academic
profile, the university has had no
major need to interact with its surroundings.
This may explain why the extensions of the
last 90 years barely interact with the rest of
the city. MIT does not make its knowledge
visible in the urban surroundings and does
not offer any programmes that invite outsiders
to participate.
Campus Case: mit
The area around MIT primarily consists of
industrial buildings and office areas and
appears lifeless. The city of Cambridge does
not want much retail business in the area,
as it gives higher priority to research companies
that pay more tax. This prioritisation
of research companies and the large number
of incubator environments in MIT’s immediate
vicinity contribute to making the
Cambridge/Boston area a knowledge city,
par excellence. From this point of view, MIT
coexists perfectly with the rest of the city.
social and academic life
It is a major challenge for MIT to provide a
social environment in an academic climate
characterised by elite students and high ambitions.
MIT offers all new Bachelor’s degree
students accommodation in a residence
hall to help them become well integrated in
the MIT environment. The residence halls/
houses that characterise the western side of
campus are generally designed to create a
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