Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Boston Public Library received an honor for their newly renovated Roxbury branch.
The Boston Society for Architecture held their annual awards gala on March 5 at the Omni Hotel at the Seaport, featuring the city’s best built and designed structures.
One of those awards given every year is the Harleston Parker Medal, which, according to the BSA, is meant to highlight a particularly beautiful structure in Boston from the past decade.
This year, the three finalists were the Roxbury branch of the BPL, the Adams Street branch of the BPL, and the Harvard University District Energy Facility. Of those nominees, the Roxbury Branch came out on top.
For people like BPL President David Leonard, this was especially significant because the Roxbury Branch wrapped up its renovation project just a few years ago.
“This was a renovation, similar to the Boylston Street building here and the Johnston building here at the central library, which also won that award several years ago,” Leonard said. “They’re both 1970s piece of architecture that weren’t well loved in the past, but now with the renovation have been truly embraced.”
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According to the City of Boston, the 3 year, $17.2 million renovation was designed by Utile, Inc. and was completed in 2020, which, according to Leonard, made the building more welcoming.
“It truly opens the building up to the neighborhood and the community,” Leonard said. “One of our previous mayors used to say it was the only branch in the country without a front door, because you had to go and find it, so we fixed that problem.”
Other aspects of the renovations included an improved outdoor plaza to host events, a nutrition lab and a learning lab, a community room with new technology, new computer workspaces, an African American collection space, and a children’s corner. Some of the structural renovations included a new roof, new windows improved insulation and HVAC system and better lighting that is more eco-friendly.
WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.