GET SOME SPICE IN YOUR LIFE

Arcane places to relax, study, shop and eat abound right on the sprawling Harvard campus--and they provide an ideal way for students to break the mid-term rut.

Take, for example, the Business School chapel.

Inside a glass pyramid, yellow, black and orange fish mingle with greenery in a bubbling pool.

An adjacent turquoise building boasts tall ceilings with prisms and skylights.

This two-part chapel, a haven for relaxation, reflection and inspiration, is a refreshing piece of modern art located amid the Business School's otherwise straight-laced architecture.

Built from 1991-92, the chapel was donated by the Business School Class of 1959 "[t]o make our community complete and remind us of our higher purpose and ideals," according to an inscription on the building.

Visitors enter through the glass pyramid, which has five rows of exotic greenery.

The turquoise cylinder encloses the worship and gathering area, which seats about 100 people.

The chapel is located in the courtyard behind Morgan Hall and is accessible from North Harvard Street. It is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Law School's library, Langdell, offers a luxurious alternative to the harsh lighting and hard chairs of Lamont.

The huge reading room--with its majestic portraits, columns and easy chairs--is plush and inspiring. But even more attractive than the reading room is the selection of edibles and potables that can be found in the building's tunnels.

A gourmet hot-drinks machine doles out everything from capuccino and Suisse mocha to tea and chicken soup. And the adjacent food machine serves such delicacies as hot dogs, pizza and microwave dinners.

To boot, an old-fashioned elevator transports students from Langdell's reading room to the building's basement.

The library is open from 8:30 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, from 8:30 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from noon to midnight on Sunday.

Another alternative to Lamont is the Loeb Music Library--a find that few non-musicians seem to know about. One of the best features of the library, which is located just outside the Yard in the Music Building, is the Spalding Room.

With its green couch, ornate wooden chairs and stained glass window, the room is one of the most attractive study locations on campus.

Its soft lights and carpet give it a cozy atmosphere, and its long wooden tables are perfect for spreading out books and papers. But even if the Spalding Room doesn't entice you, the music library is worth a visit to sample its vast collection of classical and contemporary classical music. Visitors can also watch laser discs of operas and symphonies in private rooms.

Loeb Music Library is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Even if you don't regularly venture to William James Hall, the unparalleled view you can get from its top floor makes a trip to the building well worth a visit.

The balcony on the 15th floor--or, if the balcony is locked, a glance out the windows--provides an amazing view of Boston, Cambridge and beyond.

The Hancock towers, the Prudential, and Boston's other skyscrapers are all in plain view from the 15th floor, as is the majority of the Harvard campus.

The balcony is only unlocked for Psychology and Sociology department functions and on other chance occasions, according to Quincy House psychology tutor Ross Bergman.

But the top floor is accessible by elevator whenever William James is open: Monday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.