700 Technology Square. A name whispered in awe by tech giants. A place brimming with untold stories.
Before you stands 700 Technology Square. It wasn’t always a gleaming hub of innovation. Once it housed a Lever Brothers soap factory. Imagine the scent of Lux Flakes filling the air. Then in 1963 the first building opened. It became home to MIT’s Project MAC and the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. These pioneers laid the foundation for the digital age.
They weren’t alone. Polaroid had its headquarters here. The iconic SX-70 camera was partly developed within these walls. The CIA even had a small office. MIT hackers playfully responded with a sign reading “Intelligence”. Arrows pointed to “Central” and “Artificial” in opposite directions. This was a building that fostered innovation and a dash of playful rebellion.
The original building’s Brutalist architecture was striking. A large open plaza featured wide shallow stepped levels. This stark concrete landscape has since been transformed. Newer buildings added storefronts restaurants and retail space. This reflects a shift from industrial past to a modern vibrant environment. The open plaza is now largely filled with additions.
The building’s history isn’t just about technology. It’s a story of collaborations. MIT and Cabot Cabot & Forbes partnered to create this complex. Later MIT sold its share then repurchased it. Alexandria Real Estate Equities acquired it for 600 million dollars. The ownership changed hands but the spirit of innovation remained.
Today 700 Technology Square houses LabCentral a non-profit innovation center. It provides resources and space for biotech startups. Novartis a global pharmaceutical company also occupies part of the building. 700 Technology Square is more than just an address. It’s a living testament to human ingenuity. A place where history and the future collide. A place where ideas are born and the world is changed.
Walk around. Feel the pulse of innovation. Imagine the ghosts of past inventors and hackers. They walk among you. Their legacy lives on in the technologies that shaped the world. You are standing in a place that changed the world. You are standing at 700 Technology Square.