Harvard Business School - Tata Hall
Architect: William Rawn Associates
Location: Cambridge, MA
Stone: Minnesota Limestone
Harvard Business School's Tata Hall, designed by William Rawn Associates, is a prominent seven-story academic and residential building for the school's Executive Education programs. Situated along a significant curve in the Charles River, the building serves as an anchor on the Harvard Business School campus. Minnesota Dolomitic Limestone was chosen as the primary stone cladding material after extensive research conducted on-site and in collaboration with Quarra. The architects opted for human-sized limestone pieces, each measuring 2 square feet, to achieve their design goals.
A crucial objective of the design was to create color variation within each stone piece as well as from one piece to another, extending from the main Harvard campus across the Charles River. To accomplish this, Quarra worked with the architects by carefully combining distinct layers of stone from different areas of the quarry. This unique composition ensured a harmonious blend of colors throughout the building.
The limestone surfaces were honed to bring out the natural character of the stone and make the colors more vibrant. This honed finish allows the stone's inherent qualities to shine, distinguishing it from concrete and emphasizing its organic beauty. The construction of Tata Hall involved a true cut stone masonry technique, resulting in a wall thickness of 3 inches and demonstrating a high level of craftsmanship.
