In 1992, Harvard University retained Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates to restore and renovate historic Memorial Hall as an 85,000 SF campus center and freshman dining facility. Designed by Ware and Brunt in 1874, Memorial Hall is one of the finest examples of Ruskinian Gothic architecture in the United States. Students choose between a formal, traditional dining experience in the great hall upstairs, and informal dining below. The basement level has a bazaar-like quality, providing students with numerous opportunities for interaction in flexible zones for meeting, eating, circulating and communicating in different ways at different times.
Lighting design is crucial in making the below-grade space many spaces at the same time.
Diminishing ambient light while employing local spot lighting and decorative lighting, sometimes colorful, promotes identity, character and amenity. At the end of this axis is a big-scale electronic LED display board to promote dynamic and varied communication, including graphic information and iconography, through modern electronic technology. Sanders Theatre, home of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, is considered one of the most prominent halls in the Boston area. Used for lectures and performances of all kinds, it is well known for its excellent acoustics and intimate setting. The theatre has been restored to its original appearance and augmented with new sound, lighting, audio-visual and mechanical systems.