bromery fine arts bridge

The Fine Arts Center is part of the rich legacy of Brurtalist structures at UMass Amherst. The campus saw unparalleled growth in the post-war education boom. Working closely with UMass President John Lederle, and architectural advisor to the University Pietro Beluschi, Hideo Sasaki developed a new campus masterplan that resulted in the completion of more than a dozen new Brutalist structures by a range of nationally and internationally recognized architects. Kevin Roche was one of the first architects hired under this program, beginning work on the arts center in 1962, shortly after the passing of his mentor, Eero Saarinen and the formation of his new firm with John Dinkeloo. However, the center was one of the final projects completed when it opened in 1975 due to several delays and redesigns. At its opening the project received mixed reviews. It drew immediate criticism from founder and director of the UMass Art department, but was heralded by the architectural press, and featured in the Alumnus magazine as “the Sun Machine."

More than fifty years after the Hideo Saski master plan UMass Amherst has created a collaborative initiative with UMass Dartmouth called “UMass Brut” to raise awareness of the relevance and international significance of their Brutalist heritage. The completion of the renovations at the Bridge coincided with a two-day conference focusing on the legacy and future of the Brutalist structures in the UMass system. Having completed transformations of significant Brutalists structures on Campuses, designLAB participated heavily in the programming and continues to act a national voice in the preservation and transformation of Brutalist buildings nationally.