Picture this You’re standing in Technology Square a place where innovation and history intertwine. Technology Square isn’t just a collection of buildings it’s a living testament to human ingenuity.
Initially a 14-acre site it housed a tenement and a Lever Brothers soap factory. These were demolished in the late 1950s. Cabot Cabot & Forbes and MIT jointly developed the area. The architects Eduardo Catalano and Pietro Belluschi designed the initial Brutalist style buildings. The first two buildings opened in 1963 and 1964 respectively. Three more joined them soon after forming a U-shape around a large plaza.
Polaroid had its headquarters in Technology Square from 1966 to 1998. This was in the three-story building known as the Block House. In the 1970s Draper Laboratory was built on the site. In the early 2000s the Block House was demolished. Four new buildings replaced the open plaza. The older buildings were modernized. The entire complex was renumbered from 100 to 700.
MIT’s Project MAC and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory occupied Technology Square for decades. They later moved to the Stata Center. The vacated building was renovated and became 200 Technology Square. Many tech giants occupied spaces in Technology Square. These included IBM General Electric Honeywell NASA and countless others. Even the CIA had a small office there.
MIT hackers had some fun. They placed a sign outside the CIA’s office. It said “Intelligence” with “Central” and “Artificial” below. Arrows pointed in opposite directions. They also controlled the elevators. Their computers could summon the elevator directly to the ninth floor.
Technology Square is more than just a location. It is a birthplace of revolutionary technology. Operating systems programming languages and even parts of the RSA cryptosystem originated here. The Polaroid SX-70 camera and the Zork computer game were partly developed in Technology Square. The Akamai content delivery network also had its beginnings here.
Today Technology Square stands as a powerful symbol of progress. It is a vibrant hub of innovation. Its transformation from industrial wasteland to technological powerhouse is a truly remarkable story. As you continue your tour remember this square is not just a place it is a living legacy of human creativity and ambition.