The Renovated Center of Theological Inquiry Lets in the Light

By Anne Levin | Photography by Jeffrey E. Tryon

Just across Stockton Street from Morven Museum and Garden, an unpretentious red brick building has sat on land owned by Princeton Theological Seminary (PTS) for the past 40 years. Some passersby have assumed it is part of the Seminary. Others haven’t noticed it at all.

Modeled after the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) as an independent nonprofit, the Center of Theological Inquiry (CTI) has never been an attention-getter. Year after year, the interdisciplinary program has quietly hosted scholars and scientists from different parts of the world, in Princeton for a year to investigate the nature of religious beliefs and how they relate to global issues.

Storrar with a panel of scholars in the Colloquy Room.

The CTI has never avoided a public persona, at least not intentionally. Until recently, the program operated without drawing much attention to itself. But a reexamination of its mission and a thoughtful renovation of the building’s interior has changed that.

This past June, the CTI unveiled its redesigned, light-filled headquarters at a reception for trustees, scholars, and friends in the community. The renovated building reflects acknowledgement of the increasingly collaborative, technologically sophisticated way research is done today. What was once a place of mostly solitary study has become “a three-dimensional thinking space,” CTI Director William Storrar wrote in the Spring 2024 issue of the organization’s magazine, Fresh Thinking.

The new interior allows sunlight in on all three floors. While visiting scholars — the current group of six arrived in August — still have their own offices, the research floor allows for a more open approach to exploring ideas. State-of-the-art technology on the basement level creates seamless digital communication. The main level, which is airy and spacious, is meant to accommodate public gatherings and receptions.

CTI Director William Storrar.

In an interview a few weeks after the June 1 reveal, Storrar reflected on this reimagining of the interior, and on the program as a whole.

“This building was designed by a mid-20th century generation where scholars could shut their office doors and do research,” he said. “We found, increasingly, that the building was meant for solo scholars. It was essentially two corridors of closed doors, quite dark and reclusive. But the mission of CTI is to foster interdisciplinary collaborations.”

The trustees began to discuss rehabilitation of the building and agreed to pursue the idea. After considering two firms, they selected Princeton-based Michael Graves Architecture for the project. Storrar was closely involved in the process from the beginning.

The new library.

“To say that he was very articulate doesn’t even touch it,” said Tom Rowe, who designed the renovation with fellow architect and wife Kathy Dy. “He had thought about this a lot, and was very clear about generally what he wanted, how he wanted the building to work, and how the Center would work as they were changing procedures. We were able to come up with a plan that reflected that in a very direct way, practically and symbolically.”

“We wanted to turn the building inside out, in a way,” said Dy. “That was probably the biggest primer, getting sunlight to all three floors — then getting an actual organization of space that heightened that.”

For Storrar, the atrium was the key architectural concept for the design. “We wanted to bring in light, while having a sense that all three floors were connected,” he said. “The atrium does that. You can see all three floors from the atrium. That was the most dramatic innovation. Even in the basement, natural light comes through.”

James I. McCord

Incorporated as a nonprofit in the State of New Jersey in 1978, the CTI was the brainchild of PTS President James I. McCord. It opened in 1984 on the site where Princeton Borough Hall once stood. The land was owned by the Seminary and funded by the Luce Foundation, namesake of Time magazine founder Henry Luce. The funding came from his son, Henry Luce III.

“He [McCord] thought theology had to be part of the kind of advanced research that was going on at the Institute,” said Storrar. “He thought it should be set up for visiting scholars, on the IAS model. At that time, theology was not seen as a science. He began to plan an IAS for theology that would be interdisciplinary in character.”

Storrar, who had been a visiting scholar at the CTI, was appointed director in 2005. A minister with the Church of Scotland, he was director of Edinburgh University’s Centre for Theology and Public Issues before heading the CTI.

During his tenure, Storrar has been developing the CTI’s interdisciplinary program. Each year, a set of research questions is selected on a collaborative theme. Artificial Intelligence is the current focus; past themes have included International Law, Evolution and Human Nature, Law and Religious Freedom, and The Societal Implications of Astral Biology, for which the CTI had a two-year grant from NASA.

Digital studio room.

The building’s newly designed interior is better suited to these explorations. “We didn’t really find anything wrong with the old building, but it was very introverted,” said Dy. “The CTI was searching for architects for this renovation that coincided with their new plan, called ‘Going Public.’ They wanted to take the institution and reach out not just to the local public, but globally as well.”

Like many people who live or work in Princeton, the architects were surprised to learn about the CTI’s background and mission. “I thought it was part of the Seminary,” said Dy. “I think a lot of people have that perception in Princeton. But the building does seem to be sparking interest now.”

Dy and Rowe were careful to respect the history of the building’s site, which is where Washington and Rochambeau encamped their armies enroute to victory at Yorktown in the Revolutionary War.

“The building is in Mercer Hill, a significant historic area,” said Rowe. “It was intentional to not change the outside so much. It wasn’t like we ran out of money or anything. They were just very cognizant of where they are.”

Sustainability was a key component of the project. There are 15 wells built under the front yard. “It’s all work that you can’t see,” said Dy. “It just looks like a lawn. And we were able to decommission the gas utility to the building, to make it all electric. So, it’s quite sustainable.”

The building has a new entrance and reception area visible from Stockton Street.

“We have our glass pyramid now, like the Louvre,” said Storrar. “We’ve been here for 40 years, but we have been all but unknown. This makes us more visible and open to the public.”

The CTI has held occasional public lectures over the years, and there have been collaborations with Morven, its neighbor across Stockton Street. More programs are planned to familiarize the public with what the organization has to offer.

Becoming more accessible to the public is “a moral obligation,” said Storrar. “We are seeking to raise our profile as a nonprofit. We are trying, on a small scale, to do more. Small scale, high level.”

Storrar and his wife, who happens to be a New Jersey native, plan to move back to Scotland when his term as director concludes next summer. Taking over is Tom Greggs, a professor of divinity at the University of Aberdeen. “He’s a wonderfully collaborative research leader and theologian,” Storrar said. “He’s very excited about leading the institution, and the building.”

Having shepherded the renovation of the CTI from idea to completion, Storrar feels he is leaving the organization in good hands. Reflecting on the festivities to officially unveil the new building, he said, “There was a wonderful sense of excitement and achievement. For me as director, it was an opportunity to thank the trustees for their investment in the future. Our mission is to raise the light. And the building casts light.”

Garden Room.