MIT Great Dome (Cambridge, Massachusetts)

 library, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, dome

The great dome over MIT's Barker Engineering Library in Building 10. Buildings at the MIT campus are numbered. This is essentially the center of the campus; it is often half-facetiously referred to by students as "the Centre of the Universe". The famous infinite corridor runs under the big dome, through Lobby 10.

The dome's design was inspired by Columbia University's Low Memorial Library dome, as well as the University of Virginia's Rotunda. Originally, most of the space under the dome was to be a vast assembly hall; instead, this was partitioned into a lobby (Lobby 10), a lecture hall (10-250), and the Barker Engineering Library due to a lack of funds.

The dome is one of the most recognizable of MIT landmarks. It is also a frequent target of 'hacks'. Following are examples:

Hackers once put a car on top of and made it look like a giant boob one other time.

One recent big dome hack was when a Fire Engine was put on top of the dome to commemorate the 5th anniversary of 9/11.

However, hacking the Great Dome can be difficult compared to most other locations, as there is a several-meter-high wall that must be surmounted to reach it from the surrounding roof. Of course, this is part of the allure of hacking it...