EDWARD M KENNEDY INSTITUTE FOR THE UNITED STATES BREAKS GROUND IN BOSTON

GROUND WAS BROKEN FOR THE EDWARD M KENNEDY INSTITUTE FOR THE UNITED STATES, SITUATED ON THE CAMPUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON. THE HISTORIC PROJECT WILL STAND BESIDE THE EXISTING JOHN F KENNEDY PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM, ENCOURAGING VISITORS TO EXPLORE BOTH BUILDINGS. THE NEW FACILITY WILL HOUSE PARTICIPATORY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC IN THE SYSTEMS OF THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND HEIGHTEN AWARENESS OF THE US SENATE'S ROLE IN THE GOVERNMENT. THE FACILITY WILL CONSIST OF ROUGHLY 40,000 SQUARE FEET OF PROGRAM SPACE, COMPRISED MAINLY OF CLASSROOM, EDUCATIONAL EXHIBITS, AND A REPRESENTATION OF THE SENATE CHAMBER. THE INSTITUTE'S OVERALL SITE PLAN HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO WORK IN HARMONY WITH IM PEI'S NEIGHBORING JOHN F KENNEDY LIBRARY. THE DESIGN INCLUDES AN INNOVATIVE COMPOSITE CLADDING, WHICH WRAPS THE EXTERIOR OF THE CHAMBER REPRESENTATION. THE CLADDING IS VISUALLY SEPARATED FROM THE 1-STORY VOLUME BY A RIBBON SKYLIGHT, WHICH RUNS ABOVE THE GROUND-FLOOR EXHIBITION SPACE. THE COMPLETE DEVELOPMENT WILL BOAST A LARGE EXPANSE OF OUTDOOR PUBLIC SPACE, GUIDING VISITORS TO THE ENTRANCE OF THE BUILDING. THE PUBLIC GREEN SPACE IS BORDERED BY TWO TRIANGULAR VOLUMES, WHICH DEFINE THE ENTRY TO THE BUILDING AND GEOMETRICALLY CONNECT THE INSTITUTE TO THE JOHN F KENNED LIBRARY. THE EXTERIOR OPEN SPACE IS A LINK BETWEEN THE INSTITUTE, THE JOHN F KENNEDY LIBRARY AND THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON CAMPUS, WHILE ALSO ACTING AS A CONNECTION TO THE WATERFRONT AND BOSTON HARBOR WALK. THE ENTRANCE APPROACH IS DESIGNED TO INCORPORATE COMPONENTS FROM EACH OF THE 50 STATES AND ENHANCE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE BUILDING AND THE ENTIRE NATION. THE SENATE CHAMBER REPRESENTATION IS THE HEART OF THE INSTITUTE, AND WILL FACILITATE INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING, SUCH AS AN IMMERSIVE MULTI-PLAYER SOCIAL EXPERIENCE, ACTIVATED BY 100 INTERACTIVE DESKS, BRINGING PARTICIPATING DEEP INSIDE THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS. CREATED IN COLLABORATION WITH GAME DESIGNER ERIC ZIMMERMAN, THE ROLE-PLAYING EXPERIENCE WILL GUIDE GROUPS THROUGH HISTORICALLY ACCURATE EVENTS, WITH THE VISITORS DETERMINING THE OUTCOME. HIGHLY SOCIAL BY DESIGN, THE IMMERSIVE ACTIVITIES WILL ENABLE PARTICIPANTS TO ENGAGE IN NEGOTIATION, DEBATE, CAUCUSES AND VOTES. THE INSTITUTE WILL ALSO FEATURE A RECREATION OF THE ACTUAL OFFICE OF SENATOR KENNEDY.