Lounge Network
Relax. Recharge. Rejunevate.
LOUNGES FOR MUCH MORE THAN LOUNGING. Yes, lounges are intended to encourage students to relax and recharge. At MIT, they are also places to exchange ideas, brainstorm, do p-sets, and network. Our vision for updated and new lounge space incorporates the building’s first four floors, inspired by the recent renovation of the fifth-floor Athena Cluster. This room’s popularity among students serves as a guide for what is aesthetically possible and an indication of the need for more student space throughout the building.
TRANSFORMING THE FIRST FLOOR. As the old saying goes, “First impressions matter.” The new design, which made its debut on September 12, 2023, better reflects the conception of MIT held by our students, community members, and visitors. A case in point is an underused retail facility adjacent to the stairwell atrium, which has been transformed into a welcoming lounge space with booths and flexible seating that’s also suitable for events.
REVITALIZING THE BUILDING CORE. The centerpiece of the 1988 renovation was a dramatic stair atrium that opened the building’s core and injected light into the interior. The second-floor Stratton Lounge, with its dramatic two-story windows facing the Kresge Oval, is arguably the building’s centerpiece. Today, the renovated Stratton Lounge is clad in warm wood and living walls that continue into the balconies surrounding the Atrium. The stairwell itself has been revitalized and reconfigured to create more first-floor space, enhanced with light-reflecting paint and updated flooring, all surrounded by metal-and-glass railings and lit from overhead by sculptural fixtures.
THE FOURTH FLOOR FOR ALL STUDENTS. In an agreement with the Undergraduate Association (UA), a space currently used as a meeting room on the fourth floor will be opened up and repurposed as a student lounge and event space, as well as a connecting space between the two updated dance/movement rooms. When it reopens in October 2023, the fourth floor will be more welcoming, functional, and flexible thanks to the new lobby lounge.
EXPANDING THE FIRST FLOOR OUTDOORS. Even before starting the Student Center’s renewal, a transformation outside of the Student Center already took place. A student-led effort to make more welcoming spaces outside during the pandemic resulted in some seldom-used spaces between W20 and the Zesiger Center and in front of the DuPont Athletic Center yielded spectacular results with just some outdoor furniture and lighting. The plan is to likewise reinvigorate the gravel-covered Beech Court and other outdoor areas as places for open-air gatherings that connect to the building’s interior and improve accessibility into and around the Student Center.