MIT’s historic Chapel was designed by renowned architect Eero Saarinen and is considered to be one of the most important examples of mid-century modern architecture in the United States. Replicating the historic details of the building has been a challenging and important aspect of the project.

Original antiqued glass was removed from the existing curtainwall and shipped off-site for a full restoration. Each of the hundreds of pieces were labeled to annotate their location in the system. The glass was then selectively replaced, repaired, and laminated with new antique glass custom blown in Germany with the same method that was used during the original construction. The glass was then re-leaded and glazed into a new stainless steel framing system which was custom built to match the original.

Workers remove protection after the installation of the curtainwall on the North elevation in preparation for the installation of Italian Travertine flooring which was mined specifically for this project.

Under the protection of a heated enclosure, workers install plumbing piping for the new moat filtration system, as well as pointing masonry joints around the building to match the original mortar.