Highly controversial among the experts from the outset. Nikolaus Pevsner was the speaker at the opening, but was skeptical to the point of almost being impolite. The building responds in terms of urban fabric to the introverted Yale Art Gallery by Louis Kahn by means of excessive emphasis on the service zones. 

The building has more than 30 floor levels in its seven stories. Both the interior and exterior finishes are executed in bush-hammered concrete, a characteristic feature of Paul Rudolph’s buildings.

After a fire in 1969 partly converted inside. Heritage-listed since 1980. Between 2007 and 2008, the building underwent extensive renovation and restoration, aiming to bring it more closely into line with Paul Rudolph’s original design. At the same time, an extension was added, comprising classrooms and offices, two lecture halls, a café, and a library on the ground floor. Following its reopening, the building was renamed in honor of Paul Rudolph (last updated on February 11, 2026).