Steven Holl Architects has reached another milestone following the completion of the new Rubenstein Commons at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) in Princeton, New Jersey, in late October.

The new 17,175-square-foot building provides the 92-year-old IAS with much-needed modern facilities while serving as a social condenser for researchers and the broader academic community. 

Its design is inspired by the impetus for scholarly collaboration and therefore features a series of intertwining spaces set within an undulating, low-rise volume that connects to the existing Fuld Hall building and a trio of adjacent water features located to the north, west, and south on the IAS’s 589-acre campus.

“By having the ability to come together, the great human brain can be improved because all brains, all humans benefit from talking to others,” its namesake donor David M. Rubenstein said at a 2018 groundbreaking ceremony for the structure. “What the Commons is designed to do is to bring people together, who are the great brains of our society, and have them interact; and also, people who visit can meet with the scholars. So that’s really what it’s designed to do.” 

Hand-blown glass fixtures and door handles inspired by knot theory combine with prismatic glass to engender an “energizing interior.” An intricate seasonal landscaping program from New York-based firm HOLLANDER completes the design. 

In a press statement, Holl said finally: “We only hope that the inspired feelings we had in creating and making these spaces can contribute to the future social life of the Institute.”