University News | August 16, 2013

Harvard's Science Center plaza revived

The Science Center plaza, renovated, becomes a Harvard crossroads.

From The September-October 2013 Issue

The plaza between Harvard Yard and the Science Center has been remade as a campus crossroads. It features fixed and movable seating, anchors for reunion tents, wiring for movie nights and other performances, and a trilevel planting of ginkgo trees, sumacs, and ferns to soften the Science Center facade and provide shade and year-round visual interest. Chris Reed ’91 of Stoss Landscape Urbanism was the principal designer; for details, see “A ‘Common Space’ at Harvard’s Crossroads.”

Published in the September-October 2013 print issue under the headline “Uncommon Space,” in the John Harvard's Journal section.

You might also like

Red brick building with large windows and greenery, set against a bright blue sky.

After a final round of layoffs, University leaders say 165 staff jobs were eliminated across the division.

University Hall with steps and the John Harvard statue, surrounded by trees and a grassy lawn.

Long-discussed reorganization includes layoffs and the end of the Dudley Community.

Modern building with large glass windows, surrounded by greenery and pedestrians.

A roundup of University news from the summer of 2026

Most popular

A woman with long hair stands confidently with crossed arms next to a pickup truck.

All That’s Unseen charts the Harvard graduate’s uneasy journey from Appalachia to Cambridge and back.

Blue-tinted illustration of a man holding his head and his smartphone above water.

Social Media Use and Adult Depression

A survey reveals suprising links between social media use and depression in adults.

Stone building with tall columns, steps leading up, and a flag atop under a cloudy sky.

The University will compensate families of those whose remains were sold and establish a scholarship to honor anatomical donors.

Explore More From Current Issue

Runners compete on a track, with a Harvard athlete in the foreground and others behind.

Athletics

After a historic 2025-26 season, athletes eye NCAA championships.

Colorful word cloud with various emotions and ideas related to learning and reflection.

Research

But it can’t replace human connection.

Portrait of a man in a denim shirt beside a blue book cover for "Gretal and the Great War" featuring an illustration of a leg holding an army helmet..

Arts & Culture

The Gretel and the Great War author on how the Lampoon derailed his science career—and set him on a literary path.