Steven Holl will design the new Rubenstein Commons at the Institute for Advanced Study

Once the Lewis Center for the Performing Arts opens at Princeton University next year, Steven Holl will make his mark again in the New Jersey town of Princeton with the new Rubenstein Commons at the Institute for Advanced Study. In an invited competition, Steven Holl Architects won over big-name contenders including OMA, MOS Architects, and Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects. The IAS, which has a notable reputation for theoretical research, is known for being Albert Einstein's workplace from 1933 until his death in 1955.

The Commons gets its name from The Carlyle Group's co-founder and co-CEO David Rubenstein, who donated funds for the project. Situated along a major pedestrian route at the heart of the IAS campus, the new building will serve as a gathering space for academic and community life.

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At approximately 20,000 square-feet, the Rubenstein Commons aims to foster communication and collaboration within the campus community by hosting a variety of social and meeting places. "Providing a communal and flexible gathering place for the Institute’s research community, the building will offer a space for the display of images and materials that tell the story of the Institute’s heritage, extraordinary scholarly community, as well as current and future efforts," the architecture firm describes.

"It is an honor to work on this inspiring campus and within the Institute’s rich academic history. We hope the new generation of scholars will enjoy the Rubenstein Commons as it brings the community together with inviting spaces," Steven Holl stated. "We look forward to the collaboration and realization of this important piece of architecture."