The renovated Building E52—now the Morris and Sophie Chang Building—serves as headquarters for MIT’s Department of Economics and provides a centralized location for the MIT Sloan School of Management’s student and administrative services. E52’s new seventh floor and renovated sixth floor house the remarkable Samberg Conference Center.

An Art Deco landmark along the Charles River, Building E52 was designed by Shreve, Lamb, and Harmon, the architects of the Empire State Building in New York City, and constructed in 1938 as the Massachusetts headquarters for the Lever Brothers Company. Purchased by MIT in the early 1950s, it became the first home of MIT’s School of Industrial Management (later renamed the MIT Sloan School of Management). As part of the renovation, E52’s distinctive bronze and limestone exterior was scrubbed and restored, and its windows were all replaced with operable windows that replicate the original design. Other preserved historic details include the lobby’s floor, where the original terrazzo has been meticulously replaced following the original pattern.

Inside, two new stairways connect floors 1-3 and floors 4-5, providing a more cohesive feel for the departments occupying the building. Reconfigured work spaces also foster more efficient circulation and improved communication. Occupants now enjoy increased interior daylight, improved building envelope insulation, and more efficient heating, cooling, and lighting systems. The building’s north vestibule features an MIT Percent-for-Art piece designed by artist Leo Villareal consisting of 240 hanging LED rods that cycle through a randomly generated series of light combinations.

Building E52 is named in honor of Morris Chang '52, SM '53, ME '55 and Sophie Chang, whose generous gift made the restoration possible. The Samberg Conference Center, named to honor the generosity of Arthur (SB ’62) and Rebecca Samberg, features a 20,000-foot glass-encased top-floor addition and terraces offering extraordinary views of the river and Boston.

E52 has achieved LEED Platinum certification.