Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination.” The Institute for Advanced Study may have had this idea of Einstein’s (who worked at the IAS for over 20 years until the time of his death in 1955) in mind when looking for an architecture firm to design its new Rubenstein Commons. Ultimately, IAS decided the most imaginative and, therefore, intelligent design belonged to Steven Holl Architects and awarded the firm the project.
The new Rubenstein Commons, which is named after David Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of the Carlyle Group, is set to be an approximately 20,000-sf structure at the center of the IAS campus meant to encourage interactions among the institute’s diverse community of scholars.
The building will include social and meeting spaces with the purpose of promoting communication and collaboration and will also offer space to display images and materials that tell the story of the institute’s heritage, scholarly community, and current and future efforts.
As The New York Times reports, the building will have a patina copper roof and oak floors reminiscent of another building on the campus, Fuld Hall. This plays into the strategy the Director of the Institute, Robbert Dijkgraaf, laid out, saying the new building should be like “a family member with its own characteristics.”
In addition to blending in with other buildings already on the campus, the design will also blend in and “talk to” the surrounding landscape, as opposed to standing in contrast to it.
Along with Steven Holl Architects, MOS Architects, OMA, and Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects were also invited to submit proposals.
Other famous alumni of the Institute for Advanced Study include J. Robert Oppenheimer, Erwin Panofsky, and Hetty Goldman.
Fuld Hall
Aerial View of IAS Campus. Photo Credit: Hanno Rein, Wikimedia Commons
Related Stories
Design Innovation Report | Apr 19, 2023
Reinforced concrete walls and fins stiffen and shade the National Bank of Kuwait skyscraper
When the National Bank of Kuwait first conceived its new headquarters more than a decade ago, it wanted to make a statement about passive design with a soaring tower that could withstand the extreme heat of Kuwait City, the country’s desert capital.
Design Innovation Report | Apr 19, 2023
HDR uses artificial intelligence tools to help design a vital health clinic in India
Architects from HDR worked pro bono with iKure, a technology-centric healthcare provider, to build a healthcare clinic in rural India.
Design Innovation Report | Apr 19, 2023
Meet The Hithe: A demountable building for transient startups
The Hithe, near London, is designed to be demountable and reusable. The 2,153-sf building provides 12 units of business incubator workspace for startups.
Metals | Apr 19, 2023
Sherwin-Williams Coil Coatings releases new color forecast for architectural metal coatings
The Coil Coatings division of Sherwin-Williams has released its latest color forecast, FUSE, for architectural metal coatings. The report aims to inspire architects, product manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the coil and extrusion market over the next 3-5 years and beyond.
Airports | Apr 18, 2023
India's mammoth new airport terminal takes ‘back to nature’ seriously
On January 15, 2023, Phase 1 of the Kempegowda International Airport’s Terminal 2, in Bengaluru, India, began domestic operations. The 2.75 million-sf building, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), is projected to process 25 million passengers annually, while providing its travelers with a healthier environment, thanks to extensive indoor-outdoor landscaping that offers serenity to what is normally a frenzied experience.
Resiliency | Apr 18, 2023
AI-simulated hurricanes could aid in designing more resilient buildings
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have devised a new method of digitally simulating hurricanes in an effort to create more resilient buildings. A recent study asserts that the simulations can accurately represent the trajectory and wind speeds of a collection of actual storms.
Green | Apr 18, 2023
USGBC and IWBI unveil streamlined certification pathway for LEED and WELL green building programs
The U.S. Green Building Council, Green Business Certification Inc., and the International WELL Building Institute released a streamlined process for projects pursuing certifications for the LEED green building rating system and the WELL Building Standard. The new protocol simplifies documentation for projects that are pursuing both certifications at the same time or that have already earned one certification and are looking to add the other.
K-12 Schools | Apr 18, 2023
ASHRAE offers indoor air quality guide for schools
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has released a guide for educators, administrators, and school districts on indoor air quality. The guide can be used as a tool to discuss options to improve indoor air quality based on existing HVAC equipment, regional objectives, and available funding.
Data Centers | Apr 14, 2023
JLL's data center outlook: Cloud computing, AI driving exponential growth for data center industry
According to JLL’s new Global Data Center Outlook, the mass adoption of cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) is driving exponential growth for the data center industry, with hyperscale and edge computing leading investor demand.
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 13, 2023
Healthcare construction costs for 2023
Data from Gordian breaks down the average cost per square foot for a three-story hospital across 10 U.S. cities.