Rafael Viñoly Architects (RVA) has been chosen to design the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. The institute will be located on the campus of the University of Massachusetts Boston, adjacent to I.M. Pei’s John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Set to break ground this fall, the project is targeting LEED certification.
The new facility will house educational programs about American government, and, in particular, the role played by the U.S. Senate. It will have approximately 40,000 square feet of program space, including classrooms, educational exhibits, and a representation of the Senate chamber. RVA’s design calls for a ground level of white precast concrete and, set above it, the two-story chamber, wrapped in a seamless cladding.