MIT Chapel

Designed by Eero Saarinen and completed in 1955, the MIT Chapel is a masterwork of modernist sacred architecture. The windowless cylindrical brick structure is surrounded by a shallow moat, with light entering through an oculus that illuminates a cascade of aluminum rectangles designed by sculptor Harry Bertoia. The effect is transcendent — shimmering reflections dance across the walls as water ripples outside. Non-denominational and open to all.

• 1.Visit on a sunny day for the full light effect
• 2.Sit quietly inside to fully appreciate the acoustics
• 3.Pair with adjacent Kresge Auditorium (also by Saarinen)
• 4.Respectful silence appreciated — it's an active chapel
• 5.One of the most photographed spaces at MIT