Nomination for Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Form No. 10-300 (Rev. 10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR PH066053/ NATIONAL PARK SERVICE FOR NPS USE ONLY NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM RECEIVED DATA SHEET.

JAN 1 71978 DATE ENTERED APR 2 0 1978 SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES - COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS 1 NAME HISTORIC Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts AND/OR COMMON same 2 LOCATION STREET & NUMBER 19 Prescott Street CITY, TOWN Cambridge STATE _ VICINITY OF CODE 3 Massachusetts CLASSIFICATION 025 CATEGORY DISTRICT XBUILDING(S) STRUCTURE _SITE _OBJECT OWNERSHIP PUBLIC X PRIVATE _BOTH PUBLIC ACQUISITION -IN PROCESS BEING CONSIDERED STATUS XOCCUPIED -UNOCCUPIED _WORK IN PROGRESS ACCESSIBLE XYES: RESTRICTED _YES: UNRESTRICTED -NO 4 OWNER OF PROPERTY NAME President & Fellows, Harvard University STREET & NUMBER CITY, TOWN Cambridge - VICINITY OF 5 LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION COURTHOUSE. REGISTRY OF DEEDS,ETC. Middlesex County Registry of Deeds STREET & NUMBER 208 Cambridge Street CITY.

TOWN Cambridge REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS TITLE - NOT FOR PUBLICATION CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 8th Massachusetts COUNTY CODE Middlesex 017 PRESENT USE AGRICULTURE -MUSEUM _COMMERCIAL _PARK X EDUCATIONAL _PRIVATE RESIDENCE _ENTERTAINMENT _RELIGIOUS GOVERNMENT -SCIENTIFIC _INDUSTRIAL -TRANSPORTATION MILITARY OTHER: STATE Massachusetts 02138 STATE Massachusetts Inventory of Historic Assets of the Commonwealth DATE 1967 DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS CITY, TOWN FEDERAL XSTATE COUNTY LOCAL Massachusetts Historical Commission STATE Boston Massachusetts 7 DESCRIPTION CONDITION X EXCELLENT _GOOD -FAIR -DETERIORATED _RUINS _UNEXPOSED CHECK ONE XUNALTERED ALTERED CHECK ONE X_ORIGINAL SITE _MOVED DATE DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

The Carpenter Center, located between Prescott and Quincy Streets, is flanked by the buildings of the Fogg Art Museum and the Harvard Faculty Club. Its height and projections are carefully related to its neighbors but it strongly differs from them in form and material. The center is a reinforced concrete building with basement, four main stories and a penthouse studio. All its roofs are flat. Its total usable area approximates 33,700 sq. feet. Its plan is organized around a central ramp (which traverses the third floor level), a staircase tower at the southwest corner of the building, and an elevator tower opposite in the southeast corner. The ramp in a very special way links the building to its surroundings into which it extends as in a welcoming gesture. It conducts visitors directly to the exhibition space without the need to pass through any other part of the building.

With striking effect the ramp penetrates the building through a two-story open gallery and permits views into and through adjoining areas of the building. The center in its basement houses a lecture hall, darkrooms and areas for work with film; on the other floors there are a large lobby, studios, a machine workshop, an exhibition room and several seminar rooms and offices. Some offices were created by unobtrusive later remodelings. The studios on the second and third floor are roughly mandolin-shaped in plan; they jut out on either side of a central portion of the building which is square in plan. With two free-form studio wings protruding on either side of the central cubical volume (95x95x53 ft), the mass of the building is strongly modeled and has a powerful visual impact, all the more so because the central portion has been placed diagonally on its site.

The building is dimensioned according to the "Modulor" , a system of proportioning invented by Corbusier. Round concrete piers are used throughout the building, and many parts of the center seem tó hover atop their slender supports. Room heights are 12 ft. throughout except in the basement and in the lecture hall which, in its front portion, is two stories high. Facades are in concrete and glass, including glass-brick, and are articulated by sun baffles (brise-soleil), rhythmically spaced thin concrete mullions (ondulatoire) and narrow ventilating louvres made of painted wood. All interiors have concrete floors, partly scored according to the Modulor, and now partly covered by wall-to-wall carpeting in certain areas. Ceilings are in concrete painted white.

Walls are either left in concrete or covered by plaster-board (painted white, black, or bright primary colors) or by oak plywood siding. Several rooms are dramatically lit by skylights.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD PREHISTORIC -1400-1499 _1500-1599 -1600-1699 1700-1799 _1800-1899 X 1900- -ARCHEOLOGY-PREHISTORIC ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC AGRICULTURE -XARCHITECTURE ART _COMMERCE _COMMUNICATIONS AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE -- CHECK AND JUSTIFY BELOW _COMMUNITY PLANNING -LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE _CONSERVATION -LAW ECONOMICS _LITERATURE XEDUCATION MILITARY _ENGINEERING MUSIC _EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT - _PHILOSOPHY LINDUSTRY _POLITICS/GOVERNMENT _INVENTION _RELIGION -SCIENCE SCULPTURE SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN _THEATER -TRANSPORTATION _OTHER (SPECIFY) SPECIFIC DATES 1963 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE BUILDER

Statement of significance

/ARCHITECT LeCorbusier (Charles Edouard Jeanneret) The Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts is the only building by Le Corbusier on the North American continent. Since, regardless of one's like or dislike of Le Corbusier's architecture, there can be no doubt about his international stature as one of the leading architects of the twentieth century, the Carpenter Center, as his only structure in the United States, is of crucial historic and artistic significance. The architect knew that this building was his only chance to demonstrate his architectural principles in the United States, and he was determined to take full advantage of this opportunity. As it happened, the Carpenter Center turned out to be one of the last buildings still to be completed entirely before Le Corbusier's death in 1965.

The history of its design is very well documented because all relevant sketches and studies have been preserved. The center shows Le Corbusier in full mastery of a rich vocabulary of forms and spaces, colors, textures, and light effects, utlized in a dynamic, yet disciplined composition. The resulting work of 'sculptural' architecture immediately became and continues to be a source of inspiration to architects. When completed in 1963, it attracted world-wide attention (see bibliography), and it is still searched out and photographed by a never ending stream of visitors. In 1964 the center was awarded the Harleston Parker Medal of the Boston Society of Architects for being the most distinguished building completed in the previous year. The building has been the topic of numerous articles, of a Masters and Ph.D.

thesis at Harvard University, and recently of a comprehensive monograph by E.F. Sekler and W. Curtis scheduled for publication in October 1977 by Harvard University Press.

The rest of the file

Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES see continuation sheet 10 GEOGRAPHICAL DATA ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY 1 acre UTM REFERENCES A 9 B 12 58 8 0/ 14,619311,6,01 ZONE EASTING NORTHING CULLILIN Lhlu VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION BLULL ZONE EASTING NÓR INORTING LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES STATE CODE COUNTY CODE STATE CODE COUNTY CODE 11 FORM PREPARED BY NAME / TITLE Joseph R. Orfant, National Register Editor & ORGANIZATION Massachusetts Historical Commission STREET & NUMBER 294 Washington street CITY OR TOWN Boston Robert G. Gardner, Director, Carpenter Etr. Professor Eduard F. Sekler, Harvard Univ.

Decemter 23, 1977 TELEPHONE 611-727-8470 STATE Massachusetts 02108 12 STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER CERTIFICATION THE EVALUATED SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PROPERTY WITHIN THE STATE IS: NATIONAL STATE_ LOCAL_ As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-665). I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the criteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER SIGNATURE chuch Rud Amadon TITLE Executive Director, Massachusetts Historical CommissionDATE 1/10/78 FOR NPS USE ONLY IHEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS PROPERTY IS INGLUDED DIRECTOK. OFF ATTEST: ARCTBOLOO ANDINIST KEERER DATE DETEE DATE 42/78 BUGTSYWOE 4-12-78 EGISTER GPO 892.453 Form No. 10-300a (Kev.

10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTOR Y -- NOMINATION FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY RECEIVEGAN 1 7 1978 DATE ENTERED APR 2 0 1978 CONTINUATION SHEET Bibliography ITEM NUMBER 9 PAGE 1 Ambler, Peter, "Visual Arts Centre, Harvard University", Architectural Review, December 1963 Atkinson, Fello, "Le Corbusier in America", Ihe Listener, 60 (May 16, 1963) "Big Change on the Campus: Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts", Architectural Forum, March 1963 Boesiger, W., ed.

Oeuvre complete 1957-1965, Zurich: Editions Girsberger, 1965 "Carpenter Centre" - The Architect and Building News, January 1, 1964 Casati, Cesare, "Il Primo edificio de Le Corbusier negli Stati Uniti per 1'Universita di Harvard", Domus , July 1963 "Centre d'etude d'arts visuels a Harvard, Etats-Unis: Le Corbusier", Aujourd'hui, April, 1964 "Centro Carpenter per le arti figurative dell'Universita de Harvard, Architettura, August 1963 "Corbu's Center Rises at Harvard", Progressive Architecture, December 1962 "Corbu's First U.S. Building: Harvard's Visual Arts Center", Progressive Architecture, December 1961 Czagan, Friedrich, "Fantazie a vneyse svet" , Ceskoslovensky Architekt, 13 (May 3, 1968) Donat, John, ed. World Architecture One, London: Studio Vista 1964 Eldredge, Joseph, "Vision in Concrete" , Boston Globe, July 8, 1966 "First U.S.

Building by Corbusier Completed" , Architectural Record, March 1963 Futagawa, Yokio, ed. Global Architecture 37, Le Corbusier, Tokyo: A.D.A. Edita, 1975 Giedion, S. "New Ventures in University Building (Le Corbusier, Sert)" , Zodiac, 16 (1966) Giedion, S. Space, Time and Architecture, 5th ed, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1967 Hejduk, John, "Out of Time and into Space", Cable, N.S. 1 (1969) Hitchcock, Henry R., "Le Corbusier and the U.S. -", Zodiac, 16 (1966) Huxtable, Ada L., "Bold Harvard Structure", The New York Times, May 28, 1963 Johnson, C.A.

"VAC: A Layman's Second Look at the Visual Arts Center" ', Harvard Bulletin, 75 (May 1973) "Le Corbusier at Harvard: A Disaster or a Bold Step Forward?", Architectural Forum, October 1963 "Le Corbusier Builds at Harvard: New Visual Arts Center", Architectural Forum, December 1961 "Le Corbusier Designs for Harvard" , Architectural Record, April 1963 "Le Corbusier in Amerika: Das Visual Arts Center in Cambridge", Das Werk, April 1964 "Le Corbusier Smooths His Style for U.S. Debut at Harvard", Engineering News Record, April 4, 1963 "Le Corbusier: Visual Arts Center, Harvard University", Arts and Architecture, December 1961 Form No.

10-300a (Hev.10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM FOR NPS USE GAW 1 7 1978 RECEIVED DATE ENTERED APR 2 0 1978 CONTINUATION SHEET Bibliography ITEM NUMBER 9 PAGE 2 Lyndon, Donlyn, "Filologia dell'architecttura Americana", Casabella Continuita, November 1963 Morris, J.S. "Corbusier at Harvara", "The Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts", RIBA Journal, May 1963 , RIBA Journal, August 1966 Saltzman, Cynthia, "Carpenter Center Asks the Question", Harvard Bulletin, 74 (May 1972) Scully, Vincent, American Architecture and Urbanism, New York: Praeger, 1969 Sekler, E.F. "Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, Le Corbusier's Building", Connection, December 1963 Shlugar, E., "Centro Carpenter de Artes Visuels", Arquiteto, 3, no.

23 von Moos, Stanislaus, Le Corbusier, Elemente einer Synthese, Frauenfeld and Stuttgart: Verlag Huber, 1968 Wells-Thorpe, J.A. "Harvard's Tribute to Le Corbusier", Architectural Review, January 1966 Property Carpentes mass Center yor the Visual Arts Working Mumbery.12.28.2247 TECHNICAL Photos _ 3 Maps 1, Plan t exegtiom sgafcante BD"only see Hleplene depont Middlesex CONTROL pl OK 1.19.78 ARCHITEZTUNAL HISTORIAN JAnn bilmore 3|9/18 ALCEpE SEPRISENTS PHHL050P47HE SYNTHRSU SUPERE "MOOERN" ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN THE ONLY BULDING BY LE CORBUSIER IN THE UNITED STATES. MERITS EXCEPTION OF 50-YR CRITERIA.

NOTE BIBLICURARHY INADERNATE V.B.D.; CALL, THEN - ARCHEOLOGIST OTHER HAER Inventory_ Review - REVIEW UNIT CHIEF Of exceptional siguificauce ao weshof Acept Le Cobu converjing this auluteelouer colovich -Ubd i melvas all adyöeent 3/22/28 and oured by Htawand BRANCH CHIEF of exceptional siguificauce Cole 4/12/28 KEEPER National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry 6.6.28 - Send-back Re-submit Entered United States Department of the Interior National Park Service WASO No. 7 APR 20 1978 INT:2106-74 Carpenter Center Cambridge, MA. 1974 Robert Frisbee Carpenter Center Harvard University Cambridge, MA.

02138 APR 2 0 1978 miallesex Caut JAN 1 % 1978 Photo #1 Looking west towards the east elevation carpenter Center for the Visual Arts Ylarvard Univenity Cambriolge, Mass: seen from Prescott Street (East facade) PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER Photo: Robert Frisbee, 1974 Carpenter Center mldllesEx Cambridge, MA. Couwty 1974 Robert Frisbee Carpenter Center JAN 1 71978 Harvard University Cambridge, MA. 02138 APR 20 1978 Photo #2 g3 Looking east towards the facade Her for the Visual Arts enity, Cambridge, Mass. mincy Street (Wast frcanle) PROPERTY OF THE NATONAL REGISTER Photo: Robert Frisbee 1974 m:ddlogey Couty arpenter Center Cambridge, MA. 1974 Robert Frisbee Carpenter Center Harvard University Cambridge, MA. 02138 APR 2 0 1978 JAN 1 7 1978 Photo #3 Looking north towards the south elevation pity PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER ThoTo: Robert Frisbee Carpenter Center Cambridge, MA.

JAN 1 7 1978 Plan at roof level, reduced from the original Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts Harvarot Univerity, Cambridge, Mass. Plan, roof level Photos Todd Stuart APR 2 0 1978 WASO-166 (August 1971) 1. CALL U. S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE TELEPHONE REPORT To: L FROM (Name) Joe Orfant DATE 3-9.78 TIME OF CALL 11:00 2. ADDRESS (Tel. No. if needed) MASSACHuseTES 617-727-8470 AM PM 8. SUBJECT, PROJECT NO., ETC. conpenten Center - Haward 4. DETAILS OF DISCUSSION - Called Joe fo VBD- notiig Ttat Olita Bergs. au in close proxamely to Busg. - notoble Fo9T. muscum. - Said Haward Dis not wanl to homninate Beceues. Guling wad to Expans Boog. - TAlkEd to LeBovich who hus Beenr Familicn Wizkt possable nomonestion for tus years tns posnit ttink we needec VBD. - callec doc Bleck-tous hem VBD wassit necessag. NAME OF PERSON PLACING/RECEIVING CALL JAnIN It.

Gelmonce TITLE Anclutectun heotoriciee OFFICE OAHP ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE MASSACHUSETTS Date Entered APR 2 0 1978 Name Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts Location Cambridge Middlesex County NR Also Notified Hon. Edward M. Kennedy Hon. Edward W. Brooke Hon. Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr. Mott 4/27/78 State Historic Preservation Officer Mrs. Elizabeth R. Amadon Executive Director, Massachusetts Historical Commission 294 Washington Street Bosten, Massachusetts 02108 PH0660531 NATIONAL REGISTER DATA ONAME as it appears on federal register: 3 OTHER NAMES: Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts 6 LOCATION street & number city / town vieinity of state coun 19 Prescott St. Cambridge MA Middle OWNER *PRIVATE OOSTATE OMUNICIPAL -COUNTY OMULTIPLE CFEDERAL(agency name) BADMIN 9 EXISTING SURVEYS CHABS CHAER OONHL 10) FUNDED? OYES -NO 1CONGRESS.

DISTRICT 8th 12) SOURCE of NOMINATION XSTATE MOMAL BECISTEE HISTOBIC DISTRIC HISTORIE LAN AGLERG MALO MAME 1 CONDITION Dexcellent -deteriorated Daltered Doriginal site 17 features: -SUBSTANTIALLY INTACT-1 *OSUBSTANTIAL Oruins Ounaltered Omoved QONOT INTACT-O 90 NOT INTACT -good Dunexposed Oreconstructed Cunknown WOUNKNOWN-4 Ofair WOUNKNOWN- Cunexeavated Oexcavated EONOT APPLICABLE-7 SO NOT APPLIC ISACCESS OYES-Restricted DYES - Unrestricted - No Access - Unknown (19) ADAPTIVE USE DYES OONO SAVED?

OYES IS PROP AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE : DENGINEERING -11 DLANDSCAPE ARCH.- 15 -POLITICS / GOVT." 21 -RECREATION -28 CCL -ARCHEOLOGY - prehistoric-2 -COMMERCE-6 DENTERTAINMENT-26 - LAW- 16 firs CRELIGION-22 C SETTLEMENT-29 -ARCHEOLOGY- historic-1 - COMMUNICATIONS-7 -EXPLORATION -12 - LITERATURE - 17 - SCIENCE- 23 -URBAN PLANMING-31 'olde - AGRICULTURE-3 - CONSERVATION - 8 - HEALTH-27 - MILITARY - 18 - SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN-24 DOTHER (SPECIFY) -ARCHITECTURE-4 - ECONOMICS-9 - INDUSTRY- 13 - MUSIC - 19 - SOCIAL / CULTURAL- 30 -ART-5 - EDUCATION-10 'onl - INVENTION -14 - PHILOSOPHY - 20 - TRANSPORTATION - 25 ) functions WHEN HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT: CURRENTLY: architectural style(s): dates of initial construction: major alterations: historic events: architect: master builder: landscape architeet / garden designer: S interior decorator: artist: artisan: NAMES give role & date PERSONAL: EVENTS: INSTITUTIONAL: SNATIONAL REGISTER WRITE-UP reviewers initials.

date -IF ADDITIONAL SPACE NEEDED, NUMBER& PUT ON REVERSES