This detail is a newly restored glass oculus on MIT’s Great
Dome atop Building 10. Originally built in 1916, the oculus is an
interpretation as that of Pantheon, both spanning 27 feet in diameter. The
intricate glass block construction of the skylight concentrates the light
passing through by 15% and allows for an even and diffused natural lighting
effect inside of the Barker Library reading room below. From the reading room,
the oculus looks like a single span of glass across. During WWII the oculus was
blacked out to prevent enemy aircraft from being able to navigate in the event
the US mainland was invaded. The restoration of this detail marks the first
time in 70 years the Great Dome can be experienced in its original state.
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