Steven Holl Architects' Rubenstein Commons building is a seasonal delight

Steven Holl Architects has just completed the latest addition to the campus of the Institute for Advanced Study, in Princeton, New Jersey. The Rubenstein Commons building is a mindful configuration that aims to delicately and sustainably nurture evolutions of thought and innovation for the 21st century.

The Institute for Advanced Study, an independent institution that supports research in the sciences and humanities, was the academic home to leading scholars such as Albert Einstein, J Robert Oppenheimer and George F Kennan. Given its illustrious history, the starting point of Steven Holl Architects' commission was to create a hub for intellectual excellence.

The space prioritises a culture of collaboration, featuring an abundance of flexible meeting areas, and a sense of openness demonstrated through flowing spaces and views onto adjacent floors. Gently curved expanses of roof intersect, maintaining airy volumes while 'creating space for ‘thought bubbles’ from the IAS' scholars,' as former director Robbert Dijkgraaf explains.

The studio also took the region’s changing seasons into account in the architectural and interior design. Natural slate blackboards connect the interior textures to the earth. Sunlight becomes a key protagonist in the design, as prisms of glass overhead deconstruct white light and send a spectrum of colours in and around the building, where four rectangles of water reflect sunlight into the space. 

Building upon this approach, each cardinal point represents a different seasonal element, allowing the building to thrive year-round. In springtime, a redbud flower grove blooms pink around the north pond and summer brings the green leaves of ginkgo trees on the south side. Evergreens surround the clusters of water, providing leafy backdrops to the break spots and wood-framed window views. 

One final detail that highlights this building’s seasonal beauty and sustainable architecture outlook comes in the form of the under floor heating system. Powered by 20 geothermal wells, naturally warmed water sits beneath the surface, maintaining a stable temperature inside Rubenstein Commons throughout the year. 

stevenholl.com