used at Harvard for hundreds of years. Thus, the Science Center is largely steel and concrete, with plentiful fenestration admitting natural light. Construction lasted from 1970 to 1972. From 2001 to 2004 a $22 million, renovation created space for the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments and expanded other facilities. A room-sized historic electromechanical computer built in 1944, the Harvard Mark I, was displayed on the ground floor next to the central stairwell in the main lobby of the building (it has since been moved to the Science and Engineering Complex (SEC) in Allston, Massachusetts). Facilities The Science Center comprises nine stories, plus a basement and observatory floor. It houses the History of Science, the Mathematics, and the Statistics Departments. Other facilities include: Cabot Science Library Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments (CHSI), housing the History of Science Department's 20,000 objects, dating back to 1400 5 large lecture halls, seating between 132 and 500 15 smaller general-use classrooms Teaching laboratories for chemistry, physics, biology, and other sciences Rooftop astronomical observatory with large optical telescopes Faculty and staff offices Secreted beneath the Science Center itself and its courtyard (and largely unknown those who work and study at Harvard) is a "gargantuan" chilled water plant, "a magnificent Piranesi-like interior with the volume of Boston's Symphony Hall" providing cooling to many Harvard buildings from the Science Center northward. The building itself was first opened around the time of the 1973 oil crisis, and was plagued with huge energy costs, temperature control problems, and roof leaks for decades. The plaza between the Science Center and Harvard Yard, created by the depression of Cambridge Street and Broadway into a large tunnel, is used at various times for food trucks, roller skating, ice skating, and other activities such as markets and concerts. Tents are erected for special events such as Commencement. The Tanner Fountain, a sculptural installation of large boulders and landscaping, operates during warm weather. References External links Harvard University Science Center Science Center University and college buildings completed in 1973 Modernist architecture in Massachusetts 1973 establishments in Massachusetts