LIBERTY HOTEL and YAWKEY CENTER, Boston, Massachusetts
The iconic Charles Street was restored and reinvented as a state-of-the-art medical facility and a four-star luxury hotel. As Preservation Architect, Pamela Hawkes of Ann Beha Architects guided the exterior and interior restoration of this challenging $270 million project, with Owner, Massachusetts General Hospital, Developer, Carpenter & Company and Lead Architect, Cambridge Seven Associates.
The four-story central rotunda forms a dramatic lobby and popular gathering spot. The original Jail houses all public hotel functions, including 18 guest rooms, meeting rooms, a grand ballroom, restaurant and bar, with additional rooms in a contemporary tower. A substantial portion of the cost of this challenging rehabilitation project was funded through state and federal historic tax credits.
The 400,000 SF Ambulatory Care building for Massachusetts General Hospital incorporates the fourth wing of the historic Jail, which was reconstructed over a seven-story parking garage. This iconic structure has become the centerpiece of a revitalized Charles Circle, the result of a unique collaboration between the client, the architects and the community.
CREDIT: Pamela W. Hawkes FAIA, Principal while at Ann Beha Architects
Photography: Peter Vanderwarker
Awards:
American Institute of Architects, Sustainable Design Award
New England AIA, Honor Award for Design Excellence
Boston Society of Architects, Harleston Parker Medal
Boston Society of Architects, Sustainable Design Award
Boston Society of Architects, Interior Architecture Award
Massachusetts Historical Commission
Cambridge Historical Commission
New Hampshire AIA, Integrated Design/Integrated Development Sustainability Award
American Libraries Magazine, Library Design Showcase
Architect Magazine, Annual Design Review
Publications
Architect Magazine
https://www.architectmagazine.com/project-gallery/the-liberty-hotel
Architectural Record
https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/12158-yawkey-center-for-outpatient-care
Wall Street Journal
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304106704579137860207098836
“For much of its 150 years, the Charles Street Jail was Boston’s most miserable locale…Soon, all sorts of fabulous people will be lining up to spend a night inside the building’s sorrow-soaked walls.”