Hyde Park Branch Library
Hyde Park Branch Library
Boston, Massachusetts
A branch of the Boston Public Library, the Hyde Park Library was built in 1899 in the Classical Revival style. Schwartz/Silver’s renovation and expansion doubled the size of the facility to over 28,000 square feet. To maintain the balance and symmetry of the historic structure, the original brick fabric was extended with flanking masonry ‘bookend’ additions that allow its two story portico to remain the dominant visual element of the expanded building. A glassy new wing houses the new reading room and collections.
Recognition
National Honor Award, American Institute of Architects
William D. Smith Memorial Award for Accessible Design, MAAB/Boston Society of Architects
“The Hyde Park Library is a triumph, balancing respect for the old with an appreciation of the new. It is a model for the kind of inventive additions that Boston, with both a rich history and a forward-looking culture, should demand. Few mediums are as appropriate for dramatizing the evolution of our city. Through their work over two decades, Schwartz/Silver Architects have been Boston’s master storytellers.”
Collaborators
Structural Engineer: Charles Chaloff Consulting
Mechanical, Plumbing, and Electrical Engineer: TMP Consulting Engineers
Landscape Architect: Halvorson Company
Geotechnical Engineer: Geotechnical Consultants Inc.
Civil: Hancock Engineering Associates
Preservation: Preservation Technology Inc.
Construction Cost Estimator: KVAssociates
General Contractor: Boston Building and Bridge
Photographer: © Steve Rosenthal
