MIT Sues Architect Frank Gehry

By Jane Ivory
10:13, November 8th 2007
97 votes
Vote this story
MIT Sues Architect Frank Gehry

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is suing architect Frank Gehry over alleged design flaws in the eccentric Stata Center he conjured for the school a few years ago.

MIT maintains that the Stata Center is seriously flawed in its design, as it allegedly presents persistent leaks, drainage problems and mold growing on its outer brick walls, the Associated Press reports.

The school likewise asserts that snow and ice accumulate on window boxes and other areas of the building’s roofs, only to fall dangerously to the ground. This has caused emergency exits to be blocked and damage that required costly repairs.

The Stata Center opened in 2004 and cost $300 million to build. According to the suit, Los Angeles-based Gehry Partners received $15 million to design the center, which houses labs, offices, classrooms and meeting rooms.

“Gehry breached its duties by providing deficient design services and drawings,” the lawsuit says. It also names the Stata Center’s builder, New Jersey-based Beacon Skanska Construction Co., now known as Skanska USA Building Inc., as co-defendant.

According to the New York Times, Skanska is a subsidiary of Swedish company Skanska AB. Jan Saragoni, a spokeswoman for Skanska USA, said, “Skanska values its relationship with MIT. and is looking forward to a speedy resolution of the matter,” as quoted by the Times.

The suit was filed in Suffolk County Superior Court in Boston last week, on Oct. 31, and first reported by The Boston Globe. The suit seeks unspecified damages.

A spokesman for MIT declined to comment because of the pending lawsuit.

An executive at Skanska's Boston office said Gehry had been notified by Skanska and a consulting company, before construction began, that the design was flawed, the Times reports.

“This is not a construction issue, never has been,” Paul Hewins, executive vice president and area general manager of Skanska USA, was quoted by the paper as saying.

The Times also quotes the architect himself. “These things are complicated,” Gehry said, “and they involved a lot of people, and you never quite know where they went wrong. A building goes together with seven billion pieces of connective tissue. The chances of it getting done ever without something colliding or some misstep are small.”

Gehry also added: “I think the issues are fairly minor. MIT is after our insurance.”

His previous work includes the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.



© 2007 - 2008 - eFluxMedia
dotclear

Other News in

MySpace brings Video Streaming To Mobile Phones

MySpace brings Video Streaming To Mobile Phones

It seems that getting by without a mobile phone is getting harder and harder in this agitated and high paced world we live in. Mobile phones started off as simple devices used to enable communication...

Odetta’s Voice and Humanism Will Always Be Remembered

Odetta’s Voice and Humanism Will Always Be Remembered

One of the great folk singers of late-20th-century America, Odetta Holmes known as Odetta, died of heart disease Tuesday in New York City at age 77. Her deep and very special voice made her one of...

Amazon Makes Life Easier For iPhone Users

Did it ever happen to have your mind on buying something and forgetting all about it? Apparently, for people in this situation, Amazon provides an excellent solution, nicely covered in a program they...

Visiting Hawaii in Your Own Electric Car

Visiting Hawaii in Your Own Electric Car

Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle announced Tuesday that the state wishes to link to the Better Place network of plug-in electric vehicles. Better Place, a venture-backed company designed to reduce demands on...

Relative Charged In Hudson Family Murders

Relative Charged In Hudson Family Murders

Tuesday, the Chicago police revealed that they had charged Jennifer Hudson’s brother-in-law William Balfour with the murders of the actress-singer’s mother, brother and nephew, adding the...

dotclear
Latest videos in Specials
Heidi Calls 'Secret Show'...
Rice's royal recital
Japan noodles go American
Estranged Relative Arrested...
Cooking Bus to tackle obesity...

dotclear
Specials You are here: Specials
» Specials   
E-mail To A Friend Print RSS Text size: Decrease font size Increase font size
dotclear
dotclear
dotclear
Most Popular in Specials
Venus, Jupiter, The Moon: What A Trio In The SkyVenus, Jupiter, The Moon: What A Trio In The Sky

» read full story
dotclear

Interested In This Topic?

News Alert will keep you informed. Find out more.
dotclear
Photos Gallery
dotclear
Today's Latest News
R&B Singers Sued By PhotographerR&B Singers Sued By Photographer

» read full story
dotclear