Pei Visits Harvard to Discuss JFK Building

Harvard administrators and architect I.M. Pei met yesterday afternoon to review the specifications for the University building to adjoin the proposed John F. Kennedy Memorial Library.

If the University approves Pei's outline for the buildings, which will house the Kennedy School of Government, the Institute of Politics and the Economics Department, Pei said yesterday he can prepare full plans within a month.

Harold L. Goyette, director of the planning office, yesterday declined to comment on the meeting with Pei.

Purchase Land Strip

In April Pei gave Harvard a land-use proposal advising the University to purchase a trapezoidal strip of land for the library site and outlining specifications for building.

The Kennedy Corporation, a non-profit development firm, plans to erect a $27-million memorial library and museum on the northeast corner of the 12.2 acre MBTA yards across from Eliot House and will sell Harvard nearly half its land for construction of the University building.

Not to be Discussed

The corporation has permitted Pei to outline his new scaled-down design for the library to C.E. Maguire Inc., the firm conducting an environmental impact study on the Kennedy complex.

However, Harvard, a separate client, has not allowed him to discuss plans for the University building with either the consultant firm or the public, Pei said.

Pei said the planning office had surveyed the prospective occupants of the new building to report on required modifications in his plan.

"If they don't ask too many changes, then the design will be ready very soon," Pei said. He is working under the pressure of the tight deadline of the Maguire firm.

"If Harvard makes many changes, it could delay the environmental study, but we won't let that happen," Pei said, pledging to work as fast as necessary to meet Maguire's mid-July deadline