The Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently filed a lawsuit against internationally acclaimed architect Frank Gehry for flaws in the design of their newly built Stata Center. When MIT hired Gehry to replace the old, rectangular Building 20 with an innovative and provocative design, the university did not anticipate years of maintenance problems.
Yet, since the building's opening in March of 2004, the university has had to deal with drainage defects in the outdoor amphitheater, cracks in the masonry, leaks and mold inside the building, and snow and ice falling from the irregular angles of the facade, which blocks emergency exits.
After three years of these unending setbacks and $1.5 million in expenses to rebuild part of the original design, MIT finally took legal action against Gehry on Oct. 31. In response, there has been a flurry of finger-pointing at both Gehry Partners (the design firm), and Skanska USA Building Inc., the construction company hired to build the Stata Center.
Gehry claims that the number of people in the construction process and the complexity of the design inevitably resulted in the maintenance issues. He said, "These things are complicated, and they involved a lot of people, and you never quite know where they went wrong. A building goes together with 7 billion pieces of connective tissue. The chances of it getting done ever without something colliding or some misstep are small."
The construction company retaliated against Gehry's accusations, stating that it approached Gehry with concerns over the initial design but that no changes were made. "This is not a construction issue, never has been," said Paul Hewins, executive vice president of Skanska USA.
Ultimately, the tension lies in the implications of unconventional architecture in today's world. MIT hired Gehry for the unique creations he produces and the attention they bring to the associated institutions. The university was looking for a design that would "catalyze interactions and innovations among MIT's faculty and students in computing, information science, artificial intelligence, and linguistics and philosophy." The intersecting lines and levels create a chaotic appearance that reflects the Stata Center's many functions.
Gehry certainly delivered an eye-catching and distinctive structure, but in this case, it was at the cost of a building's most basic task: to provide a shelter from the outdoors. In the book Architecture of the Absurd: How 'Genius' Disfigured a Practical Art, John Silber, the president of Boston University, said of the Stata Center, "[Gehry] thinks of himself as an artist, as a sculptor. But the trouble is you don't live in a sculpture and users have to live in this building."
In the end, $300 million should be enough to create a building that is both functional and an incredible display of innovative design.
2008 Woodie Awards
