A.R.T. to Incorporate Harvard Square Brick Into New Home

American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University will incorporate an original Harvard Square brick into the construction of its new home, the David E. and Stacey L. Goel Center for Creativity & Performance. The inscribed brick was presented to the theater by the Harvard Square Business Association as its 2026 Cornerstone Award, recognizing A.R.T.’s more-than-four-decade impact on the business district. 

“The impact that you have had on our community cannot be measured,” said Harvard Square Business Association Executive Director Denise Jillson at the HSBA annual meeting and awards ceremony on March 10. “We thank you for everything that you have brought to Harvard Square.”

Reclaimed brick is a cornerstone of the Goel Center’s regenerative design framework to shift from simply minimizing damage to actively doing good by giving more back to its community, ecosystem, and occupants than it takes across its lifespan. Approximately 190 tons of light-colored Chicago Common Brick was reclaimed for the Goel Center’s construction to support the project’s aim to lower its overall embodied carbon impact. 

The signature red brick that was formerly part of the landmark Harvard Square “Pit” will be laid among bricks salvaged from two residential buildings in Chicago’s West Pullman neighborhood that were slated for demolition. The reclaimed brick is being installed on the interior walls of the center’s west and east stages, public lobby, circulation walkways, and gathering areas.

The Goel Center for Creativity & Performance is designed by Haworth Tompkins (architect and design lead) and ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge (architect of record), in collaboration with theater and acoustic consultant Charcoalblue. Shawmut Design and Construction serves as the project’s construction manager. Learn more about the firms at AmericanRepertoryTheater.org/A-New-Home-in-Allston/About-Our-Partners. 

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