In the 1970s, an empty lot sat at the corner of JFK Street and Memorial Drive overlooking the Charles River in Cambridge's Harvard Square. The sweeping water views and prime location the land offered attracted none other than the estate of President John F. Kennedy, which selected the site for his Presidential Library. As the time for building the institution drew near, however, residents of Harvard Square questioned the potential commercialism that such a development would bring to their neighborhood. In the 1980s, commercial real estate firm Carpenter & Company understood the challenge posed by the neighborhood, but was able to appease all parties with an upscale hotel where visitors and locals alike could gather for good food and world class service. Cambridge Seven Associates drew inspiration from the Cambridge courtyard typology to design a building that complimented the scale and character of its milieu. Over the years, Cambridge Seven has continued to update the original architecture, most recently adding the new spa, Corbu, named for the famed Modernist architect and designer Le Corbusier.
