Building 20 was ugly and uncomfortable but its occupants loved it. MIT’s president during the 1970s, Jerome Wiesner, described it as “the best building in the place,” while Jerry Lettvin said it was “a building with a special spirit, a spirit that inspires creativity and the development of new ideas,” adding that it was the “womb of the Institute. It is kind of messy, but by God it is procreative!” The question is, why?
