The Massachusetts Institute of Technology or MIT is notable not just for the quality of education it offers and the long roster of well-known luminaries it has produced, but for the marvelous structures found within its campus as well. One of these architectural wonders is the Stata Center which stands out due primarily to its unique design which appears to be broken and chaotic. The building is named after its major funders who are MIT alumnus Ray Stata and Maria Stata.

The construction of Stata Center required for the equally well-known Building 20 to be demolished. Building 20 was a timber-mounted facility which housed the legendary Radiation Laboratory. Hurriedly constructed during World War II, the non-fixed nature of Building 20 allowed researchers and scientists to tailor fit the rooms to suit their needs. Today, the Stata Center plays an equally important role in MIT as it houses prestigious academic and research institutions such as the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. The 720,000 square foot learning hub also includes the offices of famous academicians such as Ron Rivest, Rodney Brooks and Noam Chomsky.

Stata Center was conceptualized by award-winning architect Frank O. Gehry and his architectural firm Gehry Partners and became an instant controversy because of its unusual form. The idea behind this uneven wonder is to represent what is happening within its confines: exciting, out of the box and dauntless. The building?s rising and falling appearance, vivid colors and mix of various materials depict the liberty and nonconformity of ideas. No two walls seem similar, some are slanted and some are upright. Portions of the structure appear to be caving in and distorted. Just like many of Gehry?s projects, Stata Center?s exterior is cladded with reflective materials juxtaposed against the traditional red bricks. There are other materials that were used including aluminum, steel and metal making the impression that these elements were just thrown without prior thoughts.

The interior of the building is as unconventional as what you see from the outside. The walls are made up of glass which practically removes all sense of privacy. There is one specific lecture wall where the wall panels slightly tint and have reportedly induced vertigo. The general principle that went behind its space planning is freeform to encourage interaction among the people inside. These inner hallways serve as on-the-spot meeting venues with blackboards hanging on its walls.

Another testament to the unconventional nature of the Stata Center is its name itself. In MIT, buildings are named by number. Stata Center should be Building 32, but its current name was retained because of its popularity.

Up until today, critics are divided whether the Stata Center is an architectural wonder of otherwise.