My basis for the fame claim was (a) as someone outside MIT, it was the MIT building I was most familiar with and (b) a Google search for famous buildings at MIT had Building 20 coming up more as a dedicated search result than any other building.
It could be that Building 20 was not famous before the nostalgia burst. But I think the nostalgia burst shows that Building 20โฒs fame is causally downstream of it being an innovation hothouse. How many other decommissioned university buildings receive a nostalgia burst of similar magnitude & character?
Was it the most famous before the nostalgia burst around its decommissioning?
Iโm also not convinced itโs the most famous today. Above it Iโd put at least:
The dome /โ Infinite Corridor
Green Building
Stata (mostly for being ugly)
My basis for the fame claim was (a) as someone outside MIT, it was the MIT building I was most familiar with and (b) a Google search for famous buildings at MIT had Building 20 coming up more as a dedicated search result than any other building.
It could be that Building 20 was not famous before the nostalgia burst. But I think the nostalgia burst shows that Building 20โฒs fame is causally downstream of it being an innovation hothouse. How many other decommissioned university buildings receive a nostalgia burst of similar magnitude & character?