Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
View looking east from Quincy Street
Location	Cambridge, Massachusetts
Built	1963
Architect	Le Corbusier
Architectural style	Modern
NRHP reference No.	78000435
Added to NRHP	April 20, 1978

The Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts is a special building at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It's unique because it's the only building in the United States designed mainly by a famous architect named Le Corbusier. He also helped design the United Nations Secretariat Building. This building is one of only two Le Corbusier designed in all of North and South America. He worked with another architect, Guillermo Jullian de la Fuente, on the design. The building was finished in 1962.

Why the Carpenter Center Was Built

Around the mid-1950s, Harvard University wanted to create a new place for visual arts. They started a new department just for art. This new department needed its own building.

How the Project Started

Harvard set aside $1.3 million for the building. They included this plan in a big fundraising program. A Harvard graduate, Alfred St. Vrain Carpenter, and his wife Helen, heard about the project. Their son, Harlow, had studied at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. The Carpenters donated $1.5 million, which really helped the project move forward.

Choosing the Architect

A special committee was formed to find an architect. At first, they wanted a top American architect. But Josep Lluís Sert, who was the head of the Graduate School of Design, had a different idea. He suggested his friend and past coworker, Le Corbusier. Le Corbusier was a very famous architect from Switzerland. After some delays, Le Corbusier agreed. He visited Cambridge twice in 1959 to work on the plans.

Design and Construction of the Building

The Carpenter Center was Le Corbusier's only building in America. He wanted it to show all his main ideas about architecture. He included his "Five Points of Architecture" in its design. He saw it as a challenge. He wanted the building to fit in with the older Georgian style houses around it. He also wanted it to invite people inside.

The Unique Ramp Design

Le Corbusier planned a special ramp that would go through the building. This way, people walking across campus would see the art activities inside. Even if they weren't planning to visit, they would get a glimpse of the art.

The building's spot was between Quincy and Prescott Streets. It was a small area. So, the building looks like a compact, round shape. It's cut in half by an S-shaped ramp on the third floor. Le Corbusier's first idea had a much bigger ramp. But this caused problems with the building's main structure.

How the Building Connects

They solved this by using a "pinwheel effect." The two halves of the building meet at a central core. This core holds an elevator. The concrete ramp sticks out from this central part. It rests on a few pillars called pilotis. The top of the ramp leads into the building's core. From there, you can see into different art studios and exhibition spaces. Glass windows and doors let you look inside without disturbing the artists.

What the Outside Looks Like

The outside of the Carpenter Center looks different from various angles. From Prescott Street, you can see brise-soleil (sun-breakers). These are placed to block the sun. From Quincy Street, you see ondulatoires (wavy shapes). These also help with sunlight. As you walk up the ramp from Quincy Street, you see a mix of square and rectangle shapes. These are from the windows, sun-breakers, and studio spaces.

What the Building Is Used For Now

Today, the Carpenter Center is home to Harvard's Department of Art, Film, and Visual Studies. It's a place where students learn about art, film, and other visual media. The building also hosts movie screenings for the Harvard Film Archive.

Le Corbusier, the architect, never actually saw the finished building. He was invited to the opening ceremony. However, he couldn't attend because he was not in good health.

See also

In Spanish: Centro de Artes Visuales Carpenter para niños

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Cambridge, Massachusetts