MIT Kresge Auditorium — Shell Restoration
DesignIn ProgressPropretiVerified build

MIT Kresge Auditorium — Shell Restoration

Cambridge, MA

Watch the Build Story
JKJoe KainInterior Designer1,284 saves

Restoration of Eero Saarinen's iconic thin-shell concrete dome — repairing the 1955 roof membrane, recasting weathered edge beams, and modernizing the interior acoustics without altering the landmark silhouette.

Progress62%
Budget$8.4M
TimelineMar 2025 – Feb 2026

The chain

Every tribe on this build

Joe Kain
Joe KainDesign lead
DesignMeridian Builders
Meridian BuildersGeneral contractor
ConstructionCarrick Metalworks
Carrick MetalworksEdge-beam steel
Trades
Enter the Project ArenaThe verified chain is live in the room right now.
Live

Media

Site photos & documentation

MIT Kresge Auditorium — Shell Restoration media 1
MIT Kresge Auditorium — Shell Restoration media 2
MIT Kresge Auditorium — Shell Restoration media 3

Vision board

References driving the design

Daylight strategy for the perimeter glazing
Daylight strategy for the perimeter glazing
Board-formed texture reference for new beams
Board-formed texture reference for new beams

Zoning & permits

Powered by Propreti's zoning engine

Cambridge Historic District — Article 2.6. Landmark exterior; alterations require Historical Commission review.

  • Historical Commission reviewApproved
  • Building permit (structural)Approved
  • Roof membrane variancePending

What's coming

Predicted from location, scope & typology

Winter weather window closingConcrete cure risk after Nov 15 — pour edge beams by early Nov.
Historic-shell typology92% of similar landmark restorations hit a membrane-spec change order.
Local labor supplyCambridge formwork crews are readily available this quarter.

Access & history

Versioned, permissioned, traceable

v14 · edited 2 hours ago by Meridian Builders
  • Joe Kain (Design)Owner
  • Meridian Builders (GC)Editor
  • Carrick Metalworks (Steel)Editor
  • University facilitiesViewer

Built for place

This hub is spatial-ready

62% complete
3 tribes on site

Propreti isn't built solely for phones — it's built for place. As the world shifts to spatial computing, this project's media, collaborators, and permit data are designed to stay in view — overlaid on the real site through AR and eyewear.

Updates

Latest from the jobsite

Meridian Builders·May 28

Edge-beam formwork complete on the north quadrant. Steel arrives Thursday.

Joe Kain·May 14

Acoustic panel mockup approved by the university.

The record

Durable evidence — kept, not simulated

Unlike the rest of this preview, entries here are written to a real database and survive refresh. Every record enters as a claim with evidence attached— never “verified” by default. Trust is earned through corroboration over time.

Edge-beam pour passed go/no-go

Claimed by Meridian Builders · 6/12/2026

claimed

Commissioning report #4471, witnessed by site auditor

Awaiting corroboration