2007 Cambridge Historical Commission Preservation Award

Bruner/Cott has transformed McKim Mead & White’s gymnasium (built in 1898 for Radcliffe College) into an elegant, iconic resource for the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. The large second floor multi-use space (above)–used every day for informal gatherings and study–can be quickly and easily converted into a formal setting for lectures, films, and formal social events, with full provisions for catering.

The upper-level running track has become a ‘walking and talking’ track for discussions and informal viewing of presentations and lectures. This versatility has made the building a popular central community space for the entire university.

Accessibility and sustainability are carefully integrated in the new design, which respects and reinforces the historic fabric of this important building. Original marble (from the swimming pool) was salvaged and used in terrazzo flooring, signage, and exterior paving. The basement pool was converted into a state-of-the-art climate controlled archive storage facility for some 8400 linear feet of the institution’s historic documents. Two 1,500-ft geothermal wells provide heating and cooling systems, and energy recovery units recover heat from exhausted air during the cold months.