{"id":20531,"date":"2009-09-01T01:00:10","date_gmt":"2009-09-01T05:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"\/gazette\/?p=20531"},"modified":"2009-09-01T01:00:10","modified_gmt":"2009-09-01T05:00:10","slug":"chairs-tables-performances-coming-to-the-yard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2009\/09\/chairs-tables-performances-coming-to-the-yard\/","title":{"rendered":"Chairs, tables, performances come to the Yard"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\n\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tCampus & Community\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t

\n\t\tChairs, tables, performances come to the Yard\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\n\t\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\tJoshua Poupore\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\tHarvard News Office\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/address>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tCommunity gathers to meet, talk, relax, or study\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\t\t

For the first time in more than a century, members of the Harvard community will be able to come together in Harvard Yard to meet, talk, relax, or study with the benefit of chairs and tables.<\/p>\n

As part of the effort to enhance the ways in which members of the Harvard community experience the campus, the University will install tables and chairs within Harvard Yard and the Radcliffe Quad and will host open-air performances in select areas across the campus.\u00a0 This project grew out of the work of the Steering Committee on Common Spaces<\/a>, appointed last year and charged by President Drew Faust with developing ideas and recommendations to ensure that the physical environment better supports the intellectual and social vitality of the University.<\/p>\n

Beginning Thursday (Sept. 3) and extending through the end of October, tables and chairs will be located near the Science Center, Memorial Hall, the Old Yard, Lehman Hall, and Boylston Hall.\u00a0 Outdoor seating is also a new feature at the pub at Cambridge Queen\u2019s Head <\/strong>at Loker Commons. Many of these newly installed seating areas will feature food options ranging from freshly made sandwiches, organic salads, and seasonal fruits to traditional pub fare to a Mediterranean menu.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Steering Committee on Common Spaces has been working the past year to identify ways in which imagination and goodwill, with modest financial investments, can be used to draw people together in spontaneous and informal ways,\u201d said Faust.\u00a0 \u201cI hope that developing gathering places that are visible and attractive can help to enhance the campus and create a sense of place that is distinctly Harvard\u2019s, yet open to the surrounding communities.\u00a0 Installing tables and chairs throughout Harvard Yard is a small step in this direction, and it will be interesting to see how the experiment works this fall.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since its formation in the spring of 2008, the Committee on Common Spaces has been working with the University Planning Office (UPO) to gather input from the Harvard community about the ways the spaces of the Cambridge campus could be improved.\u00a0 An extensive outreach effort, which included focus groups, interviews, and surveys, determined that the creation of informal gathering spaces that are central and accessible to all is desired throughout the Harvard community.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe route from the Science Center through the Yard is a major circulation corridor on campus attracting undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff,\u201d said Lizabeth Cohen, Howard Mumford Jones Professor of American Studies, chair of the History Department, a historian of the American urban and built environment, and co-chair of the Steering Committee on Common Spaces.\u00a0 \u201cOur experiments this fall are aimed at creating outdoor spaces along this corridor that draw people together for socializing, eating and drinking, and enjoying Harvard’s talented singers, actors, and other arts performers. Over time we will recommend additional strategies for making Harvard\u2019s campus a more interactive and sociable place.\u201d<\/p>\n

The committee, in conjunction with its consultant team, led by Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects and Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Landscape Architects, will continue to explore a range of potential physical enhancements.\u00a0 Implementation of this new program is a first glimpse of the shape and form of possible future improvements.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a venerable educational landscape in North America, Harvard Yard must be preserved in all of its splendid and beautiful solemnity.\u00a0 But it also needs to welcome daily use, especially by freshmen who don\u2019t just visit the Yard from time to time but actually have the honor of calling it their home for an entire year,\u201d said Michael Van Valkenburgh, principal of Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates.\u00a0 \u201cWe think that this simple programmatic addition will dramatically increase accessibility without compromising any of the dignity of the space.\u201d<\/p>\n

These new gathering areas sprinkled throughout the campus will also feature brief lunchtime performances several times a week from student and affiliate groups.\u00a0 The series will kick off with a dance performance by cast members from the American Repertory Theater\u2019s (A.R.T.) production of the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway disco musical \u201cThe Donkey Show.\u201d This feature of the Common Spaces initiative responds to recommendations from the Arts Task Force Report to encourage more arts programming across Harvard.<\/p>\n

A listing of scheduled performances by Harvard students, faculty, staff, and the A.R.T. will be available through the Harvard Arts Web site<\/a> and the Office for the Arts<\/a>, which has taken on a key role in promoting this performance opportunity.<\/p>\n

\u201cHarvard\u2019s Cambridge campus is a cherished historical space that offers tremendous potential to our community,\u201d said Mohsen Mostafavi, dean of the Graduate School of Design, Alexander and Victoria Wiley Professor of Design, and co-chair of the Common Spaces Steering Committee.\u00a0 \u201cOur vision of a spine of common spaces that support the Cambridge campus requires careful long-term planning. Testing out early ideas now will help the University spend its resources wisely and strategically in the years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStudents from across Harvard desire to connect more fully with the broader University,\u201d said Aaron Chadbourne \u201906, president of the Harvard Graduate Council. \u201cCreating more spaces designed to promote interaction between students, faculty, and staff across the Schools will go a long way toward strengthening our University-wide community.\u201d<\/p>\n

The chairs and tables will be in place from Sept. 3 through Oct. 30 with performances occurring during lunchtime hours from noon to 2 p.m. For more information on scheduled performances, go to www.arts.harvard.edu.<\/p>\n

The Harvard community is invited to send questions, comments, and feedback on the fall arts and chairs program to commonspaces@harvard.edu.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To enhance the Harvard community\u2019s campus experience, the University will install tables and chairs within Harvard Yard and the Radcliffe Quad and host open-air performances.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":105622744,"featured_media":21203,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"gz_ga_pageviews":8,"gz_ga_lastupdated":"2020-07-07 23:09","document_color_palette":null,"author":"Joshua Poupore","affiliation":"Harvard News 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class=\"wp-block-post-author\">\n\t\t\t<address class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"author wp-block-post-author__name\">\n\t\tJoshua Poupore\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-post-author__byline\">\n\t\t\tHarvard News Office\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/address>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<time class=\"article-header__date\" datetime=\"2009-09-01\">\n\t\t\tSeptember 1, 2009\t\t<\/time>\n\n\t\t<span class=\"article-header__reading-time\">\n\t\t\t5 min read\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"article-header__subheading wp-block-heading\">\n\t\t\tCommunity gathers to meet, talk, relax, or study\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\n<\/header>\n"},"2":{"blockName":"core\/group","attrs":{"templateLock":false,"metadata":{"name":"Article content"},"align":"wide","layout":{"type":"constrained","justifyContent":"center"},"tagName":"div","lock":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","ariaLabel":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[{"blockName":"core\/freeform","attrs":{"content":"","lock":[],"metadata":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\t\t<p>For the first time in more than a century, members of the Harvard community will be able to come together in Harvard Yard to meet, talk, relax, or study with the benefit of chairs and tables.<\/p>\n<p>As part of the effort to enhance the ways in which members of the Harvard community experience the campus, the University will install tables and chairs within Harvard Yard and the Radcliffe Quad and will host open-air performances in select areas across the campus.\u00a0 This project grew out of the work of the Steering Committee on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.commonspaces.harvard.edu\/performances\/\">Common Spaces<\/a>, appointed last year and charged by President Drew Faust with developing ideas and recommendations to ensure that the physical environment better supports the intellectual and social vitality of the University.<\/p>\n<p>Beginning Thursday (Sept. 3) and extending through the end of October, tables and chairs will be located near the Science Center, Memorial Hall, the Old Yard, Lehman Hall, and Boylston Hall.\u00a0 Outdoor seating is also a new feature at the pub at Cambridge Queen\u2019s Head<strong> <\/strong>at Loker Commons. Many of these newly installed seating areas will feature food options ranging from freshly made sandwiches, organic salads, and seasonal fruits to traditional pub fare to a Mediterranean menu.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Steering Committee on Common Spaces has been working the past year to identify ways in which imagination and goodwill, with modest financial investments, can be used to draw people together in spontaneous and informal ways,\u201d said Faust.\u00a0 \u201cI hope that developing gathering places that are visible and attractive can help to enhance the campus and create a sense of place that is distinctly Harvard\u2019s, yet open to the surrounding communities.\u00a0 Installing tables and chairs throughout Harvard Yard is a small step in this direction, and it will be interesting to see how the experiment works this fall.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since its formation in the spring of 2008, the Committee on Common Spaces has been working with the University Planning Office (UPO) to gather input from the Harvard community about the ways the spaces of the Cambridge campus could be improved.\u00a0 An extensive outreach effort, which included focus groups, interviews, and surveys, determined that the creation of informal gathering spaces that are central and accessible to all is desired throughout the Harvard community.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe route from the Science Center through the Yard is a major circulation corridor on campus attracting undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff,\u201d said Lizabeth Cohen, Howard Mumford Jones Professor of American Studies, chair of the History Department, a historian of the American urban and built environment, and co-chair of the Steering Committee on Common Spaces.\u00a0 \u201cOur experiments this fall are aimed at creating outdoor spaces along this corridor that draw people together for socializing, eating and drinking, and enjoying Harvard's talented singers, actors, and other arts performers. Over time we will recommend additional strategies for making Harvard\u2019s campus a more interactive and sociable place.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The committee, in conjunction with its consultant team, led by Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects and Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Landscape Architects, will continue to explore a range of potential physical enhancements.\u00a0 Implementation of this new program is a first glimpse of the shape and form of possible future improvements.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs a venerable educational landscape in North America, Harvard Yard must be preserved in all of its splendid and beautiful solemnity.\u00a0 But it also needs to welcome daily use, especially by freshmen who don\u2019t just visit the Yard from time to time but actually have the honor of calling it their home for an entire year,\u201d said Michael Van Valkenburgh, principal of Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates.\u00a0 \u201cWe think that this simple programmatic addition will dramatically increase accessibility without compromising any of the dignity of the space.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>These new gathering areas sprinkled throughout the campus will also feature brief lunchtime performances several times a week from student and affiliate groups.\u00a0 The series will kick off with a dance performance by cast members from the American Repertory Theater\u2019s (A.R.T.) production of the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway disco musical \u201cThe Donkey Show.\u201d This feature of the Common Spaces initiative responds to recommendations from the Arts Task Force Report to encourage more arts programming across Harvard.<\/p>\n<p>A listing of scheduled performances by Harvard students, faculty, staff, and the A.R.T. will be available through the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.arts.harvard.edu\">Harvard Arts Web site<\/a> and the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ofa.fas.harvard.edu\">Office for the Arts<\/a>, which has taken on a key role in promoting this performance opportunity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHarvard\u2019s Cambridge campus is a cherished historical space that offers tremendous potential to our community,\u201d said Mohsen Mostafavi, dean of the Graduate School of Design, Alexander and Victoria Wiley Professor of Design, and co-chair of the Common Spaces Steering Committee.\u00a0 \u201cOur vision of a spine of common spaces that support the Cambridge campus requires careful long-term planning. Testing out early ideas now will help the University spend its resources wisely and strategically in the years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStudents from across Harvard desire to connect more fully with the broader University,\u201d said Aaron Chadbourne \u201906, president of the Harvard Graduate Council. \u201cCreating more spaces designed to promote interaction between students, faculty, and staff across the Schools will go a long way toward strengthening our University-wide community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The chairs and tables will be in place from Sept. 3 through Oct. 30 with performances occurring during lunchtime hours from noon to 2 p.m. For more information on scheduled performances, go to www.arts.harvard.edu.<\/p>\n<p>The Harvard community is invited to send questions, comments, and feedback on the fall arts and chairs program to commonspaces@harvard.edu.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n\t\t<p>For the first time in more than a century, members of the Harvard community will be able to come together in Harvard Yard to meet, talk, relax, or study with the benefit of chairs and tables.<\/p>\n<p>As part of the effort to enhance the ways in which members of the Harvard community experience the campus, the University will install tables and chairs within Harvard Yard and the Radcliffe Quad and will host open-air performances in select areas across the campus.\u00a0 This project grew out of the work of the Steering Committee on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.commonspaces.harvard.edu\/performances\/\">Common Spaces<\/a>, appointed last year and charged by President Drew Faust with developing ideas and recommendations to ensure that the physical environment better supports the intellectual and social vitality of the University.<\/p>\n<p>Beginning Thursday (Sept. 3) and extending through the end of October, tables and chairs will be located near the Science Center, Memorial Hall, the Old Yard, Lehman Hall, and Boylston Hall.\u00a0 Outdoor seating is also a new feature at the pub at Cambridge Queen\u2019s Head<strong> <\/strong>at Loker Commons. Many of these newly installed seating areas will feature food options ranging from freshly made sandwiches, organic salads, and seasonal fruits to traditional pub fare to a Mediterranean menu.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Steering Committee on Common Spaces has been working the past year to identify ways in which imagination and goodwill, with modest financial investments, can be used to draw people together in spontaneous and informal ways,\u201d said Faust.\u00a0 \u201cI hope that developing gathering places that are visible and attractive can help to enhance the campus and create a sense of place that is distinctly Harvard\u2019s, yet open to the surrounding communities.\u00a0 Installing tables and chairs throughout Harvard Yard is a small step in this direction, and it will be interesting to see how the experiment works this fall.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since its formation in the spring of 2008, the Committee on Common Spaces has been working with the University Planning Office (UPO) to gather input from the Harvard community about the ways the spaces of the Cambridge campus could be improved.\u00a0 An extensive outreach effort, which included focus groups, interviews, and surveys, determined that the creation of informal gathering spaces that are central and accessible to all is desired throughout the Harvard community.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe route from the Science Center through the Yard is a major circulation corridor on campus attracting undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff,\u201d said Lizabeth Cohen, Howard Mumford Jones Professor of American Studies, chair of the History Department, a historian of the American urban and built environment, and co-chair of the Steering Committee on Common Spaces.\u00a0 \u201cOur experiments this fall are aimed at creating outdoor spaces along this corridor that draw people together for socializing, eating and drinking, and enjoying Harvard's talented singers, actors, and other arts performers. Over time we will recommend additional strategies for making Harvard\u2019s campus a more interactive and sociable place.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The committee, in conjunction with its consultant team, led by Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects and Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Landscape Architects, will continue to explore a range of potential physical enhancements.\u00a0 Implementation of this new program is a first glimpse of the shape and form of possible future improvements.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs a venerable educational landscape in North America, Harvard Yard must be preserved in all of its splendid and beautiful solemnity.\u00a0 But it also needs to welcome daily use, especially by freshmen who don\u2019t just visit the Yard from time to time but actually have the honor of calling it their home for an entire year,\u201d said Michael Van Valkenburgh, principal of Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates.\u00a0 \u201cWe think that this simple programmatic addition will dramatically increase accessibility without compromising any of the dignity of the space.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>These new gathering areas sprinkled throughout the campus will also feature brief lunchtime performances several times a week from student and affiliate groups.\u00a0 The series will kick off with a dance performance by cast members from the American Repertory Theater\u2019s (A.R.T.) production of the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway disco musical \u201cThe Donkey Show.\u201d This feature of the Common Spaces initiative responds to recommendations from the Arts Task Force Report to encourage more arts programming across Harvard.<\/p>\n<p>A listing of scheduled performances by Harvard students, faculty, staff, and the A.R.T. will be available through the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.arts.harvard.edu\">Harvard Arts Web site<\/a> and the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ofa.fas.harvard.edu\">Office for the Arts<\/a>, which has taken on a key role in promoting this performance opportunity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHarvard\u2019s Cambridge campus is a cherished historical space that offers tremendous potential to our community,\u201d said Mohsen Mostafavi, dean of the Graduate School of Design, Alexander and Victoria Wiley Professor of Design, and co-chair of the Common Spaces Steering Committee.\u00a0 \u201cOur vision of a spine of common spaces that support the Cambridge campus requires careful long-term planning. Testing out early ideas now will help the University spend its resources wisely and strategically in the years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStudents from across Harvard desire to connect more fully with the broader University,\u201d said Aaron Chadbourne \u201906, president of the Harvard Graduate Council. \u201cCreating more spaces designed to promote interaction between students, faculty, and staff across the Schools will go a long way toward strengthening our University-wide community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The chairs and tables will be in place from Sept. 3 through Oct. 30 with performances occurring during lunchtime hours from noon to 2 p.m. For more information on scheduled performances, go to www.arts.harvard.edu.<\/p>\n<p>The Harvard community is invited to send questions, comments, and feedback on the fall arts and chairs program to commonspaces@harvard.edu.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n\t\t<p>For the first time in more than a century, members of the Harvard community will be able to come together in Harvard Yard to meet, talk, relax, or study with the benefit of chairs and tables.<\/p>\n<p>As part of the effort to enhance the ways in which members of the Harvard community experience the campus, the University will install tables and chairs within Harvard Yard and the Radcliffe Quad and will host open-air performances in select areas across the campus.\u00a0 This project grew out of the work of the Steering Committee on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.commonspaces.harvard.edu\/performances\/\">Common Spaces<\/a>, appointed last year and charged by President Drew Faust with developing ideas and recommendations to ensure that the physical environment better supports the intellectual and social vitality of the University.<\/p>\n<p>Beginning Thursday (Sept. 3) and extending through the end of October, tables and chairs will be located near the Science Center, Memorial Hall, the Old Yard, Lehman Hall, and Boylston Hall.\u00a0 Outdoor seating is also a new feature at the pub at Cambridge Queen\u2019s Head<strong> <\/strong>at Loker Commons. Many of these newly installed seating areas will feature food options ranging from freshly made sandwiches, organic salads, and seasonal fruits to traditional pub fare to a Mediterranean menu.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Steering Committee on Common Spaces has been working the past year to identify ways in which imagination and goodwill, with modest financial investments, can be used to draw people together in spontaneous and informal ways,\u201d said Faust.\u00a0 \u201cI hope that developing gathering places that are visible and attractive can help to enhance the campus and create a sense of place that is distinctly Harvard\u2019s, yet open to the surrounding communities.\u00a0 Installing tables and chairs throughout Harvard Yard is a small step in this direction, and it will be interesting to see how the experiment works this fall.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since its formation in the spring of 2008, the Committee on Common Spaces has been working with the University Planning Office (UPO) to gather input from the Harvard community about the ways the spaces of the Cambridge campus could be improved.\u00a0 An extensive outreach effort, which included focus groups, interviews, and surveys, determined that the creation of informal gathering spaces that are central and accessible to all is desired throughout the Harvard community.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe route from the Science Center through the Yard is a major circulation corridor on campus attracting undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff,\u201d said Lizabeth Cohen, Howard Mumford Jones Professor of American Studies, chair of the History Department, a historian of the American urban and built environment, and co-chair of the Steering Committee on Common Spaces.\u00a0 \u201cOur experiments this fall are aimed at creating outdoor spaces along this corridor that draw people together for socializing, eating and drinking, and enjoying Harvard's talented singers, actors, and other arts performers. Over time we will recommend additional strategies for making Harvard\u2019s campus a more interactive and sociable place.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The committee, in conjunction with its consultant team, led by Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects and Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Landscape Architects, will continue to explore a range of potential physical enhancements.\u00a0 Implementation of this new program is a first glimpse of the shape and form of possible future improvements.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs a venerable educational landscape in North America, Harvard Yard must be preserved in all of its splendid and beautiful solemnity.\u00a0 But it also needs to welcome daily use, especially by freshmen who don\u2019t just visit the Yard from time to time but actually have the honor of calling it their home for an entire year,\u201d said Michael Van Valkenburgh, principal of Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates.\u00a0 \u201cWe think that this simple programmatic addition will dramatically increase accessibility without compromising any of the dignity of the space.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>These new gathering areas sprinkled throughout the campus will also feature brief lunchtime performances several times a week from student and affiliate groups.\u00a0 The series will kick off with a dance performance by cast members from the American Repertory Theater\u2019s (A.R.T.) production of the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway disco musical \u201cThe Donkey Show.\u201d This feature of the Common Spaces initiative responds to recommendations from the Arts Task Force Report to encourage more arts programming across Harvard.<\/p>\n<p>A listing of scheduled performances by Harvard students, faculty, staff, and the A.R.T. will be available through the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.arts.harvard.edu\">Harvard Arts Web site<\/a> and the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ofa.fas.harvard.edu\">Office for the Arts<\/a>, which has taken on a key role in promoting this performance opportunity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHarvard\u2019s Cambridge campus is a cherished historical space that offers tremendous potential to our community,\u201d said Mohsen Mostafavi, dean of the Graduate School of Design, Alexander and Victoria Wiley Professor of Design, and co-chair of the Common Spaces Steering Committee.\u00a0 \u201cOur vision of a spine of common spaces that support the Cambridge campus requires careful long-term planning. Testing out early ideas now will help the University spend its resources wisely and strategically in the years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStudents from across Harvard desire to connect more fully with the broader University,\u201d said Aaron Chadbourne \u201906, president of the Harvard Graduate Council. \u201cCreating more spaces designed to promote interaction between students, faculty, and staff across the Schools will go a long way toward strengthening our University-wide community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The chairs and tables will be in place from Sept. 3 through Oct. 30 with performances occurring during lunchtime hours from noon to 2 p.m. For more information on scheduled performances, go to www.arts.harvard.edu.<\/p>\n<p>The Harvard community is invited to send questions, comments, and feedback on the fall arts and chairs program to commonspaces@harvard.edu.<\/p>\n"}],"innerHTML":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide\">\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n","innerContent":["\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide\">\n\n","\n\n<\/div>\n"],"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-content-justification-center is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n\t\t<p>For the first time in more than a century, members of the Harvard community will be able to come together in Harvard Yard to meet, talk, relax, or study with the benefit of chairs and tables.<\/p>\n<p>As part of the effort to enhance the ways in which members of the Harvard community experience the campus, the University will install tables and chairs within Harvard Yard and the Radcliffe Quad and will host open-air performances in select areas across the campus.\u00a0 This project grew out of the work of the Steering Committee on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.commonspaces.harvard.edu\/performances\/\">Common Spaces<\/a>, appointed last year and charged by President Drew Faust with developing ideas and recommendations to ensure that the physical environment better supports the intellectual and social vitality of the University.<\/p>\n<p>Beginning Thursday (Sept. 3) and extending through the end of October, tables and chairs will be located near the Science Center, Memorial Hall, the Old Yard, Lehman Hall, and Boylston Hall.\u00a0 Outdoor seating is also a new feature at the pub at Cambridge Queen\u2019s Head<strong> <\/strong>at Loker Commons. Many of these newly installed seating areas will feature food options ranging from freshly made sandwiches, organic salads, and seasonal fruits to traditional pub fare to a Mediterranean menu.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Steering Committee on Common Spaces has been working the past year to identify ways in which imagination and goodwill, with modest financial investments, can be used to draw people together in spontaneous and informal ways,\u201d said Faust.\u00a0 \u201cI hope that developing gathering places that are visible and attractive can help to enhance the campus and create a sense of place that is distinctly Harvard\u2019s, yet open to the surrounding communities.\u00a0 Installing tables and chairs throughout Harvard Yard is a small step in this direction, and it will be interesting to see how the experiment works this fall.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since its formation in the spring of 2008, the Committee on Common Spaces has been working with the University Planning Office (UPO) to gather input from the Harvard community about the ways the spaces of the Cambridge campus could be improved.\u00a0 An extensive outreach effort, which included focus groups, interviews, and surveys, determined that the creation of informal gathering spaces that are central and accessible to all is desired throughout the Harvard community.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe route from the Science Center through the Yard is a major circulation corridor on campus attracting undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff,\u201d said Lizabeth Cohen, Howard Mumford Jones Professor of American Studies, chair of the History Department, a historian of the American urban and built environment, and co-chair of the Steering Committee on Common Spaces.\u00a0 \u201cOur experiments this fall are aimed at creating outdoor spaces along this corridor that draw people together for socializing, eating and drinking, and enjoying Harvard's talented singers, actors, and other arts performers. Over time we will recommend additional strategies for making Harvard\u2019s campus a more interactive and sociable place.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The committee, in conjunction with its consultant team, led by Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects and Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Landscape Architects, will continue to explore a range of potential physical enhancements.\u00a0 Implementation of this new program is a first glimpse of the shape and form of possible future improvements.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs a venerable educational landscape in North America, Harvard Yard must be preserved in all of its splendid and beautiful solemnity.\u00a0 But it also needs to welcome daily use, especially by freshmen who don\u2019t just visit the Yard from time to time but actually have the honor of calling it their home for an entire year,\u201d said Michael Van Valkenburgh, principal of Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates.\u00a0 \u201cWe think that this simple programmatic addition will dramatically increase accessibility without compromising any of the dignity of the space.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>These new gathering areas sprinkled throughout the campus will also feature brief lunchtime performances several times a week from student and affiliate groups.\u00a0 The series will kick off with a dance performance by cast members from the American Repertory Theater\u2019s (A.R.T.) production of the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway disco musical \u201cThe Donkey Show.\u201d This feature of the Common Spaces initiative responds to recommendations from the Arts Task Force Report to encourage more arts programming across Harvard.<\/p>\n<p>A listing of scheduled performances by Harvard students, faculty, staff, and the A.R.T. will be available through the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.arts.harvard.edu\">Harvard Arts Web site<\/a> and the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ofa.fas.harvard.edu\">Office for the Arts<\/a>, which has taken on a key role in promoting this performance opportunity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHarvard\u2019s Cambridge campus is a cherished historical space that offers tremendous potential to our community,\u201d said Mohsen Mostafavi, dean of the Graduate School of Design, Alexander and Victoria Wiley Professor of Design, and co-chair of the Common Spaces Steering Committee.\u00a0 \u201cOur vision of a spine of common spaces that support the Cambridge campus requires careful long-term planning. Testing out early ideas now will help the University spend its resources wisely and strategically in the years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStudents from across Harvard desire to connect more fully with the broader University,\u201d said Aaron Chadbourne \u201906, president of the Harvard Graduate Council. \u201cCreating more spaces designed to promote interaction between students, faculty, and staff across the Schools will go a long way toward strengthening our University-wide community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The chairs and tables will be in place from Sept. 3 through Oct. 30 with performances occurring during lunchtime hours from noon to 2 p.m. For more information on scheduled performances, go to www.arts.harvard.edu.<\/p>\n<p>The Harvard community is invited to send questions, comments, and feedback on the fall arts and chairs program to commonspaces@harvard.edu.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n"}},"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":157140,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2014\/05\/early-outlines-for-smith-center\/","url_meta":{"origin":20531,"position":0},"title":"Early outlines for Smith Center","author":"harvardgazette","date":"May 22, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Extensive outreach within the Harvard community is beginning to shape the development of the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center as a cornerstone addition to President Drew Faust\u2019s Common Spaces initiative.","rel":"","context":"In "Campus & Community"","block_context":{"text":"Campus & Community","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/111913_features_1233_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/111913_features_1233_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/111913_features_1233_605.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":53549,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2010\/09\/sit-down-stay-a-while\/","url_meta":{"origin":20531,"position":1},"title":"Sit down, stay a while","author":"harvardgazette","date":"September 7, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"A new season of performances involving the Common Spaces Chairs Project kicked off with the chairs as the star.","rel":"","context":"In "Arts & Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts & Culture","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/arts-humanities\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/09\/090710_common_spaces_182_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/09\/090710_common_spaces_182_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/09\/090710_common_spaces_182_605.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":166032,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2015\/02\/covering-the-snow\/","url_meta":{"origin":20531,"position":2},"title":"Covering the snow","author":"harvardgazette","date":"February 17, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Photo gallery: Harvard staff members keep the campus running throughout record snowfalls.","rel":"","context":"In "Campus & Community"","block_context":{"text":"Campus & Community","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/snow_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/snow_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/snow_605.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":136045,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2013\/04\/view-from-the-porch\/","url_meta":{"origin":20531,"position":3},"title":"View from the Porch","author":"harvardgazette","date":"April 26, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Harvard officials dedicated a new common space, called the Porch, in the Yard on Wednesday, and welcomed the reopening of the science plaza after a reconstruction project.","rel":"","context":"In "Campus & Community"","block_context":{"text":"Campus & 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