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Project

McMullen Museum of Art & University Conference Center

Constructed in 1926, the Cardinal’s Residence for the Archdiocese of Boston was expanded and renovated into a modern facility that houses the McMullen Museum of Art and a conference center.

Lead Contact

Project Details

Project Partners
DiMella Shaffer
Owner
Boston College
Location
Boston, Massachusetts
Completion Date
Area
29,745 ft²
Project Awards

Boston Preservation Alliance, Preservation Achievement Award, 2017

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McMullen Museum of Art and University Conference Center at Boston College. © Robert Benson Photography
mcmullen
McMullen Museum of Art and University Conference Center at Boston College. © Robert Benson Photography
mcmullen
McMullen Museum of Art and University Conference Center at Boston College. © Robert Benson Photography
mcmullen
McMullen Museum of Art and University Conference Center at Boston College. © Robert Benson Photography
mcmullen
McMullen Museum of Art and University Conference Center at Boston College. © Robert Benson Photography

Overview

The Cardinal’s Residence for the Archdiocese of Boston, which was constructed in 1926 and purchased by Boston College in 2004, was expanded and renovated into a modern facility that houses the University Conference Center on the ground-level and the McMullen Museum of Art on the second and third floors.

We provided structural engineering services to DiMella Shafer for the three-story building, which was completed in 2016.

Highlights

  • The building has a structural system of reinforced concrete floor and roof joists supported by a combination of brick bearing walls and an interior steel colonnade.
  • Structural renovations included infilling of existing openings, cutting and reinforcing of new openings, reinforcing of the steel colonnade, and raising of the low roof on the west wing.
  • The structural steel-framed addition on the east side provides a loading dock, a large-capacity elevator, stairs, bathrooms, and a grand entry lobby for the museum.