Building 20

Building 20 was a research facility at MIT with an F-shaped layout and wings extending along Vassar Street. The wooden structure featured multiple floors with adaptable interior spaces designed for flexible use.

The building was constructed in 1943 during World War II and housed the MIT Radiation Laboratory. Scientists there developed radar technologies for military defense.

The building served as a gathering place where different research groups worked side by side and exchanged ideas freely. Physicists, engineers, and computer scientists shared spaces and drew inspiration from one another's work.

The interior could be modified by occupants according to their needs, with researchers freely moving walls and installing equipment for experiments. This flexibility made it ideal for rapidly changing research projects.

Nine Nobel Prize winners conducted research in the building before its demolition in 1998. Its replacement, the Ray and Maria Stata Center, took over its role as a hub for advanced research.

Inception: 1943

Part of: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

GPS coordinates: 42.36190,-71.09050

Latest update: December 7, 2025 10:07