Cool For School: Stunning Addition at U-Mass Amherst

Cool For School: Stunning Addition at U-Mass Amherst

U-Mass Amherst garnered the attention of architecture aficionados everywhere with the recent opening of an addition to the Isenberg School of Management.

Isenberg School of Management addition exterior wide image

Begun in 2016, the ambitious project undertaken by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and Goody Clancy added significant space (70,000 square feet) in addition to creating an eye-catching new facade to greet visitors near the entrance of campus.

Isenberg School of Business Management with small entrance

The addition is comprised of vertically oriented pillars, clad in copper, that form a wide loop—winding 3/4 of the way around and connecting back to the original Isenberg building.

Isenberg School of Management exterior very wide shot of entire complex

The addition is a clever solution to augmenting the Business School’s identity and floor plate, while also creating an inviting inner courtyard.

Isenberg School of Management interior view looking out to courtyard

But the best is saved for last. Near the terminus of the loop, the pillars are gradually slanted, seemingly unmoored on their axes and falling in slow motion to create a stunning domino effect. This visually broadens the entrance, leaving a triangular wall of glass that creates a “generous invitation from the Haigis mall to the learning commons… the mall and the courtyard—inside and outside—form a forum for the students, the faculty, and the profession to meet, mingle, and mix society and academia.”

Isenberg School of Management falling domino pillars

The bright and welcoming interior functions as “learning commons,” and can also be used as an event space for lectures, award ceremonies, and banquets.

Isenberg School of Management Interior beneath pillars and student commons

Find out more at Bjarke Ingels Group.

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