MIT reported on Oct. 2 that it formally dedicated its renovated Met Warehouse (Building W41) at a ceremony held the preceding Wednesday, described in the report as heralding a new era for design on campus. MIT President Sally Kornbluth called the building a cornerstone of a West Campus district for art and design that also includes the Edward and Joyce Linde Music Building (W18) and the MIT Theater Arts building (W97).

The warehouse was originally built from 1884 to 1923 as a private storage facility and was acquired by MIT in 1962. According to the report, the idea of making it the home of the School of Architecture and Planning gained traction by 2018. Architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, working with the Cambridge Historical Commission, replaced four segments of north-side brick wall with glass and added skylights. The renovated building includes double-height design studios, an auditorium, a lobby, a café and flexible classrooms.

Speakers credited supporters including the Morningside Foundation, whose gift established the Morningside Academy for Design, and Sidara, which supported the Sidara Auditorium and Sidara Gallery. The LUMA Foundation gave an establishing gift for the MIT LUMA Lab, also based in the building.