A New Vision for the Student Center

THE NEXUS OF STUDENT LIFE. Since the Stratton Student Center became a central part of MIT’s campus in 1968, our community has grown and student life has changed significantly. More than 50 years after its opening, the Student Center welcomes thousands of community members and visitors each day and hosts nearly 7,000 events each year with 200,000 participants.

The needs and expectations of MIT students evolved over the decades, but the Student Center remained largely static – a combination of 1960’s efficiency and 1980’s charm. Today, MIT is reimagining the Student Center as a campus hub for wellbeing, performing arts and dance, healthy eating, and community building, with enhancements that encourage students to slow down, care for their minds and bodies, and connect with others. The plans include an innovative Wellbeing Lab and targeted enhancements across four floors and outside, encompassing a network of flexible student spaces, community areas, infrastructure updates, and much more.

INTEGRATING WELLBEING & RENEWAL GOALS. Overall, targeted renewal of the Student Center will improve design coherence throughout the building, update infrastructure, create more adaptable spaces, and transform this dated facility into a modern, student-oriented nexus of activity. The result will be a welcoming, aesthetically coherent haven of warmth that reflects and supports MIT’s culture of wellbeing.