What a mathematics Institute looks like
by Alison Conway
L
ONG BEFORE I WENT TO WORK at the Fields Institute
I had heard about a think tank in Toronto. My curiosity got
the better of me and I slipped into Fields one day to see what
a think tank might look like. In my mind I assumed I would
see a glass-walled fish tank of some sort with people walking
in circles, scratching their heads and thinking deeply. What
I found of course was a beautiful, light-filled building, with
natural wood finishes, a clerestory flooding light into the
interior, and a wonderful transparency to the whole design.
Many years later I understood that the purpose of the building
had been understated as a think tank and ultimately Fields
was designed for the two things that it has become known
for — collaboration and communication.
The architects of the Institute, Kuwabara, Payne, McK-
enna and Blumberg (KPMB), were inspired by the power
of mathematics
and its creativity
in their design.
Fields was built for collaboration,
with lots of spaces for spontaneous
Within the rigid-
gatherings and 60+ blackboards.
ity of architecture
they incorporat-
ed a juxtaposition of rhythm, using serendipitous forms with
consistent proportions and order. From the cantilevered en-
try portico and the piano nobile of rusticated limestone, the
Institute has a subdued almost austere appearance at street
level. It is only when you have climbed up to the Institute's
main floor that the structure slowly starts to reveal itself.
...
The broad staircase at Fields is the essence of the build-
ing. There is something about it that encourages the op-
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portunity to follow its full course from top to bottom and to
take a moment
to appreciate the
The design of the Fields pallazo and
view throughout
its windows follows the golden ratio.
the building. Con-
versations start
on the stairs and
carry on into research spaces. The staircase functions as
a terrific lookout to scan the building for a lost colleague or
to hear snippets of mathematical dialogue that might pique
the interest of and draw the listener into the conversation.
The staircase holds no hierarchy but allows researchers and
students to flow through the building having conversations,
making appointments, or sharing recent collaboration in the
daily flow up and down.
...
The Institute has more than fulfilled its purpose in terms
of mathematical activity and research — yet to me this is not
the complete measure of the building. The measure of the
success of the Fields Institute as a building design lies also
in its quiet moments. During the 15 years I had the pleasure
of working at Fields, there was not a week that passed when
I didn't see researchers showing a friend or family member
around the building, describing where they worked and
spent their days. As they toured the building the pride in their
voices when speaking about Fields brought home to me how
much the building had succeeded in its purpose. The Fields
Institute is a world of its own, a welcoming place, a building
shaped by mathematicians and in turn shaping th em.
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