MIT Sues Gehry

MIT is suing architect Frank Gehry for unspecified damages, claiming "design and construction failures" in an on-campus building he designed led to leaks, drainage problems and mold.

Gehry, known for wonky and creative designs, designed the Boston technology college’s $300 million Stata Center, a building widely celebrated for its unconventional walls and radical angles.

MIT alleges that soon after its 2004 completion, the center’s 350-seat amphitheatre began to crack because of drainage problems.

The suit says snow and ice fell dangerously from window boxes and roof areas, blocking emergency exits and damaging parts of the building. The suit reportedly alleges that within months of the center’s opening, the amphitheatre started to come apart, with "considerable masonry cracking."

In December 2004, Gehry agreed to sandblast parts of the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles in response to a report that the venue’s exterior produced excessive glare.