Kresge Auditorium
- Architect
- Eero Saarinen
- Year
- 1955
- City
- Boston, MA
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Kresge Auditorium (MIT Building W16), at 48 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, was designed by Eero Saarinen, with construction breaking ground in 1953 and the building dedicated in 1955. It takes its name from principal funder Sebastian S. Kresge, founder of S.S. Kresge Stores, the corporate predecessor of Kmart, and of the Kresge Foundation.
the building
Paired with the Chapel. Saarinen designed Kresge Auditorium in tandem with his nearby MIT Chapel, with the two buildings separated by a green space called the Kresge Oval. Together the ensemble is recognized as one of the best examples of mid-century modern architecture in the United States.
Built for social cohesion. The Auditorium was designed as the place where MIT students and faculty could gather for formal events, while the Chapel was intended for weddings and memorials, and the Kresge Oval between them was meant to host civic events in the tradition of early American urban planning.
the style
Together with the MIT Chapel, Kresge Auditorium is recognized as one of the best examples of mid-century modern architecture in the United States.
the architect
Eero Saarinen was a Finnish-American architect who designed Kresge Auditorium alongside its companion MIT Chapel as a paired commission at MIT.
More on Eero Saarinen