Architects: Eero Saarinen and Associates
Year: 1955
Photographs: Library of Congress, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Jorge Salcedo, Daderot , Madcoverboy, Kun0me , 庶民小文™, Gomattolson, Graneits, Nimay Shah, WorldofArun
City: Cambridge
Country: United States
The Kresge Auditorium by Eero Saarinen reflects MIT’s commitment to architectural innovation and serves as a cultural, social, and spiritual hub on campus. Built alongside a non-denominational chapel, the two structures contrast in form, with the chapel’s enclosed brick design and the auditorium’s transparent, outward-facing structure. Among the first large-scale thin-shell concrete buildings in the U.S., its 113-foot reinforced concrete dome, supported by three pendentives, required structural reinforcements and multiple roofing replacements, with standing seam copper installed in 1979. The three-point base gives it a light appearance, with a mid-level lobby connecting the main auditorium and lower theater. Acoustic modifications, including a fiberglass-isolated stage, oak grating, and suspended panels, optimized sound quality while maintaining the dome’s visibility. Though reception was mixed, with criticism for structural challenges, Architectural Record ranked it 15th among the most significant buildings of the past 100 years in 1956, and in 2008, it was listed among Boston’s top ten buildings.
The Kresge Auditorium, designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen, was an architectural and structural experiment that aligned with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s emphasis on technology and innovation. This sculptural engineering achievement functions as a meeting house and forms part of MIT’s cultural, social, and spiritual core. It is among Saarinen’s many bold and egalitarian designs that embodied the optimistic spirit of post-war America.
The Dean of MIT’s School of Architecture commissioned Eero Saarinen’s office to design an auditorium, a non-denominational chapel, a student union, and a connecting plaza on a site along Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge. The project aimed to establish a central space where students could gather for meetings, religious services, and artistic performances or exhibitions. The student union, originally intended to run perpendicular to Massachusetts Avenue as a boundary wall for the plaza, was never built. Saarinen’s proposed plaza design, featuring triangular sections of paving and grass over below-grade parking, was replaced with a simple lawn. The completed structures, Kresge Auditorium and the MIT Chapel, stand opposite each other, forming a bold yet simple geometric composition. Each building’s materiality and form reflect its function, with the chapel’s windowless brick enclosure creating an introspective space, contrasting the auditorium’s transparent, outward-facing structure.
Eero Saarinen (1910–1961), a prominent post-war architect, shaped the profession with his designs for high-profile projects, including the TWA Terminal, Dulles International Airport, and the St. Louis Gateway Arch. His collaborations with Charles and Ray Eames, along with his work for Knoll, revolutionized industrial design, influencing both technology and aesthetics, with many of his furniture pieces remaining popular today. While renowned for his sculptural architectural forms, his work varied stylistically, with several projects reflecting the International Style. Following the death of his father and collaborator, Eliel Saarinen, in 1950, he established his own architecture practice, completing numerous significant works before his early passing at 51. Saarinen believed that architecture should enhance human life and embody a sense of nobility, stating, “the purpose of architecture is to shelter and enhance man’s life on Earth and to fulfill his belief in the nobility of his existence.” [1]
Although thin-shell concrete technology had been introduced from Europe in the 1920s, Kresge Auditorium became one of the first large-scale thin-shell concrete structures in the United States. Its reinforced concrete dome, forming one-eighth of a sphere, is primarily supported by three pendentives. The truncated dome encloses a triangular space of approximately half an acre, reaching a height of 50 feet. The primary structural roof, spanning 113 feet, varies in thickness from 3 to 7 inches. Edge-stiffening beams along the perimeter reinforce the structure and frame its large transparent façades. A secondary 2.5-inch nonstructural lightweight concrete layer was applied as a roofing substrate.
The experimental nature of the Kresge Auditorium led to several structural challenges during and after construction. Initially designed to rest solely on three main supports, the edge beams deflected more than expected, requiring the addition of vertical structural mullions behind the windows. Finding a suitable roofing material for the double-curved shell was also difficult. Marble tiles and lead-coated copper sheets were considered but dismissed due to cost and performance concerns. The final choice was a coating of fine limestone chips in a liquid acrylic polymer binder, creating a smooth white finish. However, by 1963, thermal expansion and contraction caused cracking, delamination, and eventual roof failure. The roof was replaced with square lead sheets, but water infiltration led to freeze-thaw damage and further deterioration. In 1979, concrete and reinforcement at the edge beams near the main supports were replaced, and a standing seam copper roof was installed, which remains in place today. [2]
From eye level, the three-point support structure gives the expansive dome a visually slender appearance. The main entrance leads into an elongated lobby, positioned midway between the main auditorium and the smaller theater below. The lower level also contains rehearsal spaces, a lounge, dressing rooms, and a carpenter shop.
Although acoustics did not dictate the overall form of Kresge Auditorium, interior modifications were made to enhance sound quality and allow for simultaneous events. The main auditorium’s stage is mounted on a fiberglass pad, preventing vibrations from transferring to the theater below. Oak wall grating with absorptive backing, polychrome fabric seats, and curvilinear suspended panels further refine the sonic environment. Despite these interventions, the dome’s distinctive form remains visible from within.
Critical reception of Kresge Auditorium was highly divided. While national design and construction periodicals followed its planning process with enthusiasm, the completed project faced strong criticism for its lack of contextual integration, structural limitations, and unconventional auditorium form [3]. A 1955 Architectural Record article acknowledged the building’s functional success but noted that its austere material palette lacked warmth [4]. Despite these critiques, in 1956, Architectural Record ranked Kresge Auditorium as the 15th most significant building of the past 100 years [5], and in 2008, it was recognized as one of Boston’s top ten buildings.
References
[1] Quote from Eero Saarinen [2] Boothby, Thomas; Parfitt, M. Kevin; Roise, Charlene K., “Case studies in diagnosis and repair of historic thin-shell concrete structures,” APT Bulletin, 2005, v.36, n.2-3, p.3-11 [3] Ford, Edward, Details of Modern Architecture, Volume 2. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2003. Pg 285 [4] “The opal on the Charles : [Kresge Auditorium, Massachusetts Institute of Technology]” Architectural Record, 1955 July, v. 118, p. 135 [5] “One Hundred Years of Significant Building.” Architectural Record, 1956 Nov., p. 199-200Project Gallery
Project Location
Address: 48 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
