Smith Campus Center, Brutalist campus center in Harvard Square, Cambridge, United States
Smith Campus Center is a ten-story concrete structure shaped like an H, with large glass windows and geometric patterns across its facade. The building spreads across about 360,000 square feet and houses administrative offices, health services, dining venues, study spaces, and meeting rooms for the university.
Catalan architect Josep Lluís Sert designed the administrative building between 1960 and 1966, marking Harvard's first venture into high-rise construction. The adjacent Forbes Plaza was completed in 1967 and added an open gathering space named after Edward W. Forbes to complement the structure.
The building housed five Mark Rothko paintings in its penthouse dining room from 1964 to 1979, drawing art lovers and students together in one space. This connection to abstract expressionist works gave the structure a role beyond simple administration, turning it into a place where creativity and daily campus life overlapped.
The building is easily reached from Harvard Square and offers multiple entrances for the public. Visitors should know that some interior areas are only accessible during university operating hours, so it helps to check ahead about which spaces are open.
The structure is one of the rare examples of Sert's brutalist work in America, bringing his European architectural approach to the United States. The raw concrete form and modernist design make it a subject of study for students interested in architecture history and how design approaches evolved.
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