Location: Cambridge, Boston, United States.

Architect: Hopkins Architects.

The Holyoke Center at Harvard University has undergone a renovation project that reconfigures the first, second, and tenth floors of the building. The project aims to reinterpret the history and logic of the original architecture by Josep Lluis Sert in the 1950s. The renovation includes a series of additions and removals to create new internal and external spaces. The new Welcome Pavilion serves as a point of orientation and information for the university, while a series of landscape “thresholds” mediate between the central Arcade and the new Harvard Commons space. The central room of the Campus Center is surrounded by a variety of social and meeting spaces of different scales and characters. The 10th floor has been reorganized to provide formal and informal gathering spaces that engage Sert’s building with the university campus and the city beyond. New materials such as steel, glass, timber, and stone were selected to complement the existing building’s concrete and brick. The detailing and connection of the new structures and materials express and celebrate their construction, while also differentiating between old and new. The use of color in finishes and furniture was inspired by Sert’s original color palette, creating new spaces with legibility and character. The stakeholder outreach process was an essential part of the project, ensuring that the renovation aligned with the needs and hopes of the entire Harvard community. The process helped to forge stronger relationships within the community and proved to be a positive experience.

Photo credit: Janie AireyNic Lehoux.