A more provocative contrast could hardly be imagined than the confrontation of the BCS Building opposite Frank Gehry's Ray and Maria Stata Center (MT5). Sharp, precise angles of the triangular site form a contrapuntal dialogue with the discordant notes of the latter. Architects were mindful of the location bordering on railroad tracks, which caused vibrations from freight trains, and so they raised the building's foundations accordingly. Adding to complexities of the site, the program had to accommodate three different research centers, as cited above.
At the core of the handsome seven-story limestone and glass structure, the central atrium rising from the third floor constitutes the logical meeting place. A cable truss supports the skylight, thus animating the ninety-foot-high sun-filled courtyard, forming