The argument of this project can be situated between its urban and architectural context. The urban context is defined by Main Street which delineates the threshold between Cambridge and MIT communities. The larger project entailed a respect for the historic buildings of Main Street while introducing new civic structures that enhanced connectivity between the community and Charles River. One of the main challenges of the context involved the infrastructure of the Red Line, with the Kendall Square T stop located directly under the site. Allowing the station to function seamlessly during construction also contributed to the design strategy.
The architectural context, thus, involved the repurposing of existing underground structures that served the Red Line station. The subway environment also necessitated an overhaul of accessibility issues with ample stairs, escalators and elevators. These resulted in headhouses that speak to existing design standards as mandated by the MBTA. In tandem, the above ground environment is now defined by high-rise buildings which have surged beyond human scale, and part of the challenge was to provide a mediating scale in the form of a civic threshold: a gateway monumental from the human standpoint while still diminutive from the perspective of the new urban context.
Ultimately, this project involves a translation of an infrastructural context into an architectural one, adopting urban design techniques to create habitable spaces that bring two communities together.
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