Historic Renovations Completed at Conservatory

BOSTON — Following a year of construction, a $20 million project that included renovations to four of New England Conservatory’s historic buildings was recently completed.

The project is expected to stretch the lifespan of the buildings by 50 years with renovated exteriors, energy-efficient windows and boilers, and green roofs.

Founded in 1867, the NEC has a storied past with facilities to match, including the 107-year-old Jordan Hall, a National Historic Landmark that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The project team included Tishman Construction of Boston and Wessling Architects of Quincy, Mass. In addition to work at the 1,013-seat Jordan Hall performing center, exterior renovations were completed at 295 Huntington Avenue, 241 St. Botolph St. and 33 Gainsborough St., all of which are on the National Register of Historic Places. Renovations were also completed at a residence hall.

One of the biggest challenges to the entire project was finding marble to match the original columns and rosette medallions on Jordan Hall’s façade, which after 100 years were beginning to crumble, according to the project team.

The original marble was imported from Africa, but similar marble was no longer available from those quarries. After months of research, marble with a similar grain and color variation was imported from Italy.

The replacement of wooden windows at Jordan Hall poised another challenge. Windows facing Huntington Avenue and Gainsborough Street were restored in accordance with U.S. Secretary of the Interior/National Parks standards, which required them to be removed, repaired and reinstalled.

Energy-efficient features were added throughout the NEC campus, including a white roofing system on Jordan Hall and insulated aluminum windows at 295 Huntington and 241 St. Botolph. Workers also installed High R-value insulation and new efficient boilers in Jordan Hall.

 

The New England Conservatory’s 295 Huntington Avenue building (above) was part of a $20 million project to renovate the school’s aging campus. (Left) Jordan Hall’s deteriorating terra cotta façade was repaired during the project.