High-Profile Focus: Schools and Institutions
26
March 2022
Concrete Foundations:
UMass Amherst Embraces its Brutalist Heritage as it Builds for the Future
by Lincoln Nemetz-Carlson It is no secret that Brutalist architecture is having a bit of a comeback. The architectural style, known for its use of raw concrete and its popularity in the 1960s and 70s, has seen renewed public interest as of late in articles, publications and, most of all, Instagram. Once considered harsh and unfriendly by some, Brutalism has recently been recast as cool, hip, and avant-garde, garnering a new generation of fans and admirers. Given the plethora of architecturally significant Brutalist buildings at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, perhaps there is no campus in North America better positioned to take advantage of this renewed enthusiasm in all-things-Brutalism. Following a campus master plan crafted in the early 1960s by legendary landscape architect, Hideo Sasaki in the early 1960s, UMass Amherst embarked on an ambitious building program, producing Brutalist masterpieces by some of the most revered architects in the world. Marcel Breuer himself designed both the bold Lincoln Campus Center and its parking garage; Edward Durell Stone was behind UMass’ iconic W.E.B. Du Bois Library; and Pritzker Prize laureate Kevin Roche
Arts Bridge costume shop / Photo by Chodos Photos
produced the Fine Arts Center (recently renamed the Bromery Center for the Arts). These impressive buildings, which continue to be an important part of our campus today, testify to the university’s long-held commitment to both worldclass facilities and excellence in design. In 2019, UMass Amherst and UMass Dartmouth partnered together to form UMassBRUT, a unique campaign dedicated to educating the community about the Brutalist heritage of UMass and advocating for the preservation of its iconic structures. Despite the pandemic, a growing group of faculty, planners, students, and administrators at both
universities managed to mount efforts on several fronts in order to advance its mission, including a website (umassbrut. org), a popular Instagram page (@ umassbrut), and the publication of the University of Massachusetts Amherst Brutalist Campus Guide. In October of last year, UMass Amherst and UMass Dartmouth hosted a two-day symposium held on both campuses that brought together scholars, practitioners, architects and conservationists to discuss the past, present, and future of Brutalist buildings. With keynote speakers from the Getty Conservation Institute, the symposium was sold out, with over 100 attendees
coming from around the world to enjoy paper sessions, panels, tours, and art events while respecting COVID safety measures. Aside from UMassBRUT’s outreach and messaging, perhaps no project better exemplifies UMass Amherst’s commitment to showcasing and renewing its Brutalist heritage than the recently completed renovations to the Arts Bridge of the Bromery Center for the Arts. Overseen by Boston firm, designLAB Architects, after their award-winning restoration of Paul Rudolph’s Claire T. Carney Library at UMass Dartmouth, the $12.57 million renovation has brought
The installation of solar panels and a recent renovation of the Arts Bridge’s interior spaces both speak to UMass Amherst’s commitment to adaptive reuse and carbon mitigation. / Photo by Chodos Photos
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