Architecture & Design | October 20, 2015

Josep Lluís Sert's International Style icon is updated

Josep Lluís Sert’s International Style icon gets a half-century exterior toning and face lift.

From The November-December 2015 Issue

Photograph of Smith Campus Center exterior renovation

Photograph by Stu Rosner

As planning proceeds for the conversion of the former Holyoke Center into the Smith Campus Center, Josep Lluís Sert’s International Style icon, built from 1962 to 1967, gets its half-century exterior toning and face lift—a formidable challenge in the tight confines of Harvard Square. Stage One is the staging itself: here, the Dunster Street scaffolding in the first week of autumn.

Published in the November-December 2015 print issue under the headline “Under Wraps,” in the John Harvard's Journal section.

Related topics

University News

Architecture & Design

You might also like

A vibrant bar scene with tropical decor, featuring patrons sitting on high stools.

Best Bars for Seasonal Drinks and Snacks in Greater Boston

Gathering spots that warm and delight us

Catherine Zipf smiling, wearing striped shirt and dark sweater outdoors.

Preserving the History of Jim Crow Era Safe Havens

Architectural historian Catherine Zipf is building a database of Green Book sites.

Room filled with furniture made from tightly rolled newspaper sheets.

A Paper House in Massachusetts

The 1920s Rockport cottage reflects resourceful ingenuity.

Most popular

Students writing at desks on wheels, racing ahead of a stationary student at a fixed desk

Why Men Are Falling Behind in Education, Employment, and Health

What to do as men and boys fall behind

Union Jack flag waving next to the Harvard University crest against a blue sky.

Harvard Students, Alumna Named Rhodes and Marshall Scholars

Nine Rhodes and five Marshall scholars will study in the U.K. in 2026.

Tall modern building with multiple floors and large windows against a cloudy sky.

Harvard Revamps Controversial Public Health School Center

The health and human rights center had drawn attention for its Palestine-related program.

Explore More From Current Issue

Six women interact in a theatrical setting, one seated and being comforted by others.

Performing Arts

A (Truly) Naked Take on Second-Wave Feminism

Playwright Bess Wohl’s Liberation opens on Broadway.

A vibrant composition of flowers, a bird, and butterflies with a distant manor under a moody sky.

Museums & Collections

Rachel Ruysch’s Lush (Still) Life

Now on display at the Museum of Fine Arts, a Dutch painter’s art proved a treasure trove for scientists.

A silhouette of a person behind bars, with a hand drawing a bar and colorful splashes.

Undergraduate Column

An International Student on Staying Silent in Trump’s America

What is the price of a Harvard education?