MIT Building 20 Exhibit

Client: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Role: Management

Status: Completed 

Fact: Engineers developed the technology for the radar in Building 20, the "Magical Incubator", which would help to win World War Two.

MIT wanted to commemorate the many achievements, which had taken place in Building 20, the “Magical Incubator”, where, during World War II, engineers developed the radar that would help win that war, and upon whose site the Ray and Maria Stata Center had been built. Members of map-lab, as part of the Stata Center Project Management Team [SCPMT] established a team including client representatives, exhibit designer, writer, and members of the MIT Museum to develop an exhibit that would honor the past and inspire new scientists in the Stata Center to carry on the tradition started by the Building 20 occupants.

While gathering historical information about Building 20, SCPMT discovered that the original radar dish developed by MIT engineers was located in a nearby storage facility, and incorporated it into the exhibit’s design, along with wood salvaged from the original building. The close coordination with the project team and structural engineer made for a smooth installation process and successful tribute to the Stata Center’s legacy.