The Stata Center, designed by Frank Gehry, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is seemingly alive. Because of the reflective and angular elements of this structure are sharp, definitive, and convoluted, the building’s image can change moment-to-moment. Incredible swaths of shadows border intense reflections of the sun as it peaks out from the clouds. Details, unnoticeable on bright days, become apparent when overcast. As the seasons cycle, the angle of light redefines the contours of the Stata Center. Indeed, this structure exhibits a rhythmicity that is inherent to biological forms as if though it were breathing, following seasonal cycles, and reflecting the moods of those admiring or admonishing it.
