Weston Art & Innovation Center
Architecture Firm: LLB Architects
Year: 2019 Design Awards
Category: Commercial Architecture: Civic/ Institutional
Location: Weston, MA
Type: Citation
Comments from the Jury:
- The challenge with this project, was how to design a modern, dynamic and flexible library program within a historic library.
- This is the type of intervention, that is difficult to maneuver and can easily skew the historic character.
- The building combines restored historic areas with modern interventions such as the elevator, successfully joining the old and new. The elevator is centrally located at the heart of the building and acts as a hub of activity. Instead of trying to disguise this utilitarian feature, the elevator was used as a modern piece of art within the space, which also serves as a blank canvas.
- Glass walls are appropriately used to create a sound barrier while allowing visual access to connect the spaces back to the central stair and main lobby.
- Where both openness and privacy are needed, such as in the original reading room that doubles as a meeting space, privacy is achieved creatively through the use of electrified glazing, a fun product we have all wanted to utilize.
- The historic entry hall and reading room were wonderfully restored to their original state, while working from only two historic photos available of the space.
Weston, MA