19 Sep Mass Design Group suss out what to preserve and reconstruct in Old Corner Bookstore’s coming restoration
Earlier this month, HBI hosted Mass Design Group and a handful of Historic Preservation experts from across the city to engage in a discussion about the future of the Old Corner Bookstore (OCB). Mass Design Group’s Jonathan Evans, Chris Scovel, Chris Hardy, and Brian Sandford have been working closely with HBI staff over the past year, with numerous presentations to HBI’s Board and our Old Corner Bookstore Task Force, and hours of tireless research into the buildings’ multi-faceted past in order to determine the best path forward for telling this building’s story through its architecture.
Gathering representatives from the City of Boston’s Office of Historic Preservation, the Boston Landmarks Commission, architectural historians, and historic preservation consultants, HBI and Mass Design presented the most recent plans for the OCB to this group for their vital feedback and direction.
Conversation jumped between what would be considered authentic building materials, to the infringement of our energy efficiency goals by the use of such materials, whether or not vacuum insulated glass or true divided light windows could achieve those goals or get the building further from historical accuracy. The many rabbit-holes we collectively went down have provided valuable insights into how HBI may conceive of the Old Corner Bookstore in these coming influential phases. Whether or not we continue to stick to the values of our founders or embrace our own interpretation of historic restoration has yet to be determined.
