Robert Benson
Finegold Alexander Architects of Boson has completed Phase I of the multi-phased renovations to The First Church of Christ, Scientist, on Massachusetts Avenue in Boston. The project involved the interior repair and restoration of The Mother Church Original. The building is part of a campus that is an icon in the city of Boston, located on a prominent 14.5-acre site that includes a large pedestrian plaza, The Mother Church Original (TMCO) and The Mother Church Extension (TMCX), and a number of other buildings in the heart of the Back Bay neighborhood. It is the largest privately owned, yet publicly accessible space in Boston.
The building is part of a campus that is an icon in the city of Boston, located on a prominent 14.5-acre site that includes a large pedestrian plaza....
Work on TMCO involved strategically inserting updated electrical and life safety systems into the existing building fabric to bring the structure up to code, while leaving the original interiors intact. Additional interior work included plaster repairs, restoration of damaged interior stonework and mosaic tile, and restoration of the interior decorative painting.
“The team had to carefully design and implement the work in order to ensure that there were no areas in the building that showed traces that we were ever there,” notes Regan Shields Ives, principal of Finegold Alexander Architects. “The result is a modernized, code-compliant church that harkens back to its original splendid design. Our goal was to refresh the building yet leave no trace of our work so that it looks as it did when it was originally completed in 1894.”
" Our goal was to refresh the building yet leave no trace of our work so that it looks as it did when it was originally completed in 1894.” Regan Shields Ives, Principal, Finegold Alexander Architects
Multi-phase project
Finegold Alexander is leading the project and will coordinate and oversee the multiple phases, including the restoration of TMCX, which is slated for construction in 2022. The design team includes building envelope specialists Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH), responsible for the building exterior, and Arup, providing the electrical and fire protection services. Key elements include the preservation of the building envelope, interior repairs to address water infiltration, and life safety/accessibility code upgrades. Construction is lead by Shawmut Design and Construction.
Key [restoration] elements include the preservation of the building envelope, interior repairs to address water infiltration, and life safety/accessibility code upgrades.
The project is part of a multi-phased project involving the interior and exterior restoration of the church's extension facility, as well as the complete overhaul of the adjacent plaza and reflecting pool designed by CRJA-IBI Group landscape architects.
