DiMella Shaffer | BC Art Museum + Conference Center

CONVERTING THE CARDINAL’S RESIDENCE INTO AN ART MUSEUM MCMULLEN MUSEUM OF ART & CONFERENCE CENTER BOSTON COLLEGE; CHESTNUT HILL, MA

THE PROJECT The 1927 Renaissance Revival mansion that once served as the former home to Cardinal William H. O’Connell and drew guests as notable as Pope John Paul II, has become the new home of the McMullen Museum of Art and University Conference Center. After a 7,000 SF addition and 23,000 SF renovation, the building now serves a very distinct and diverse audience. The museum space, occupying the second and third floors, enjoys double the space it had in its previous home.

A glass addition with a new elevator and grand open stair offers expansive views to the surrounding grounds and serves as the main entrance to the museum. The greatest challenge in the conversion into a museum was the need for large flexible galleries within a residentially scaled structure. The entire second floor was opened up for gallery space. Creative solutions for the other program elements were developed on the other floors, including a roof deck as additional gathering space. The University Conference Center, located on the first floor, is accessed through the historic house’s main entrance and includes five flexible meeting and conference spaces of varying sizes with direct access to an outdoor plaza and formal lawn.

EXISTING ADDITION

INTEGRATED PLANNING

IMPLEMENTATION

The Institutional Master Plan envisioned a new Arts District in this general location.

Combining the compatible programs of the University Conference Center and Art Museum in the most historic building on the new campus proved to be the quintessential use for the building. The McMullen Museum of Art, located on the main campus, would move across Commonwealth Avenue. The Museum’s prominent new location along Commonwealth Avenue serves as a new gateway to the campus and therefore broadens the Museum’s exposure to a wider audience, both on-campus and in the larger urban context.

Successful conversion of a 1927 Renaissance Revival palazzo into a modern University Conference Center and Museum required concurrent detailed study of both technical and aesthetic issues. Non-gallery museum functions are housed in the modest addition and include a dedicated entrance and lobby, a monumental open stair (that also functions as an egress stair), an elevator that serves both passengers and art, a subterranean loading dock and art storage, all within 7,000 SF. The addition is clean, modern and crisp, yet complements the historic structure appropriately. The brightness and accessibility of the addition transforms an introverted private mansion into an extroverted art and University Conference Center.

CAMPUS IDENTITY The vibrant activity within the glass addition contrasts with the proud historic structure that sits prominently at the forefront of the Brighton Campus. A rooftop terrace overlooks woods, lawns and the city of Boston.

Museum visitors are greeted by the recently acquired LaFarge stained glass windows. The transparent double-height lobby and open stairwell offer dramatic views back to campus and beyond. Both people from the institution and the greater community have a place to convene and take pride in the re-use of a storied building in a new and innovative way.

TYPE: LOCATION: PROGRAM: SCOPE: SQUARE FEET: CONSTRUCTION BUDGET: MATERIALS: SUSTAINABILITY:

ACCESSIBILITY The varied programs resulted in a building with three distinct entrances. To achieve universal access, different approaches were taken for each entrance. The new entrance to the museum utilizes a ramp approach that is sympathetically integrated alongside a new entrance stair. A side door at the main, historic entrance was revitalized and complemented with a lift on the interior.

On the south side, sloped walkways were seamlessly integrated into the landscape and plaza design.

RANDY KREIE, AIA PRINCIPAL AND PRESIDENT Randy has more than 30 years of architectural experience. Randy helps translate design vision into structural reality, with an emphasis on team management, master planning, conceptual design and quality assurance.

DAVID GODFROY, AIA, LEED AP ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL David has 20 years of architectural experience with new construction and renovations for a variety of clients and institutions. David’s creative abilities are augmented by his excellent coordination and communication skills.

Art Museum & Conference Center Chestnut Hill, MA galleries, lobby, conference center & support spaces, administration space addition and renovation, adaptive reuse 30,000 SF $22 million limestone, brick, triple-glazed curtain wall WUFI analysis, high performance systems that resulted in energy use 24% lower than ASHRAE standards

FLOOR PLANS MECHANICAL & SUPPORT ADMINISTRATION ELECTRICAL

CONFERENCE

ELEV.

MUSEUM LOBBY GALLERY

BOILER

ELEC.

LOADING

MEN

MECHANICAL

WOMEN FIRE PUMP

EM. ELEC.

ART STORAGE

ART STORAGE

CASE STORAGE & WET PREP

FA

ELEV. MACH

ELEV.

STORAGE

IT

PLATING KITCHEN

BASEMENT

PLAZA

T.

COATS LOCKERS MEETING ROOM

MEETING ROOM

MEETING ROOM

T. ELEV. MEETING ROOM

LOBBY

MEETING ROOM

STORAGE COATS

TRAYS ELEV. BUSING T.

museum entrance

ADDITION EXISTING

T.

conference center entrance

LEVEL 1

T.

COATS LOCKERS

T.

STORAGE ELEV. GALLERY

LOBBY

LEVEL 2

ELEV.

GALLERY

SCULPTURE GALLERY

TSA

IT MGR

SEC.

WORK AREA

ART PREP FRAMING

ROOF TERRACE LIBRARY CONFERENCE

MGR

MGR

DIRECTOR

MGR

LEVEL 3

CAMPUS MAP

NEW MUSEUM

LAK

E S T.

BRIGHTON CAMPUS

COM

MON

WEA

LTH A

VE.

TO BOSTON PREVIOUS MUSEUM

BEACO

N ST.

SITE PLAN

COMMONWEALTH AVENUE

N

LAWN

1 4

2

1 MUSEUM SERVICE/LOADING

3 CONFERENCE CENTER ENTRANCE

2 MUSEUM ENTRANCE

4 CONFERENCE CENTER SERVICE COURT

3

Endowed with a rich history as the former home to Cardinal William H. O’Connell, the mansion was a statement home, a symbol of Boston Catholicism.

The project set forth to restore the mansion to its original grandeur through utilization of the original materials. The team matched the existing high-quality limestone, marble and mahogany finishes to the 1927 levels. Limestone lintels were utilized to match the existing and the limestone window casing and cornice were replicated.

BEFORE

AFTER

“The renovation of this landmark Renaissance Revival mansion to a state-of-the-art museum facility and university conference center was nothing short of transformational. The work included a careful renovation of the existing building—with a delicate new addition of glass and masonry that both respects and celebrates the original building.”

- Mary Nardone Associate Vice President Capital Projects Management

The University Conference Center utilizes the original main entrance, as well as the South entrance, that opens onto a plaza and green lawn. The formal lawn on the south side of the mansion serves as an asset supporting larger functions, including large-scale donor events.

The architectural team played a critical role in the development of a permanent setting for one of the museum’s restored treasures - a stained glass triptych by John LaFarge - displayed and illuminated prominently in the new glass addition.

The greatest challenge of the conversion into a museum was the need for large flexible galleries within a residentially scaled structure. Inserting state-of-the-art museum galleries into an existing mansion required meeting strict interior climate criteria.

A glass addition with a new elevator and grand open stair offers expansive views to the surrounding grounds and also doubles as egress.

The University Conference Center, located on the first floor, is accessed through the historic main entrance, and includes five flexible meeting and conference spaces of varying sizes

“The building has a rich history in the Boston community and the city’s Roman Catholic community. The relocation of the art museum to this location, combined with a new conference center, provided a wonderful opportunity to introduce a public program to the building, providing public access to this historic gem.�

- Mary Nardone Associate Vice President Capital Projects Management

Boston 281 Summer Street Boston, MA 02210

Seattle 1511 Third Avenue, Suite 300 Seattle, WA 98101

Tel 617.426.5004 Fax 617.426.0046

Tel 206.686.0170 Fax 206.686.0171

www.dimellashaffer.com