Claremont McKenna College Expansion Tops Out

Eighteen months in and the Bjarke Ingels-designed expansion of Claremont McKenna College has reached its highest point. The Robert Day Sciences Center, located at the intersection of 9th Street and Claremont Boulevard, will cover approximately 135,000 square feet. It will house the Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences, which focuses on research in genetics, neuroscience, and climate science, and will serve up to 1,400 students upon completion.

The design features paired blocks on each floor, rotated 45 degrees from the level below. The interior showcases stacked trusses, floor-to-ceiling glass partitions, and is illuminated by a glass atrium.

The structure also includes eight outdoor terraces at the corners and a rooftop with 9,000 square feet of solar panels, aiming for LEED Gold Certification. The project is set to be completed in 2025.

"The topping out of the Claremont McKenna College Robert Day Sciences Center coincides with the opening of our Los Angeles studio as we continue to grow our portfolio of academic and cultural works along the U.S. Pacific Coast," said BIG founder Bjarke Ingels in a news release.

Founded in Copenhagen in 2006, BIG has expanded its presence in the United States, recently opening a Los Angeles studio in a Paul R. Williams-designed building at 310 Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica. This studio will handle West Coast projects, including a new Las Vegas stadium for the Oakland Athletics and a high-rise complex near the Los Angeles River in the Arts District.

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