The AIA Historic Resources Committee is super excited for our upcoming luncheon and program held annually in conjunction with the AIA Conference on Design, in Boston this coming June.
For 2025, our program A Landmark for our Future: The Boston Public Library will be held at the Library, (McKim Mead and White, 1895; Philip Johnson, 1972) in its remarkable Guastavino Room-showcasing structural and architectural innovations for which this extraordinary landmark is known.
Located in Boston's national historic Back Bay neighborhood, facing Trinity Church and the historic Copley Square, the BPL is ideally suited to host our timely discussion of public architecture, public service, and the role of discourse and education in an historic, and changing, context.
https://www.bpl.org/art-architecture/
Our program will touch on the history of the McKim building-a rare confluence of art, architecture, technology, and collections. We will dig deeper into its significance-through the specific work of immigrants Rafael Guastavino and family as they navigated the prevailing cultural landscape in pursuit of the American Dream. We will learn about the efforts of the BPL as it negotiates the fine balance between modernization, services, and stewardship of significant collections and historic resources. Finally, we will explore implications of these topics as they affect other cultural institutions and their heritage.
The Guastavino Room is named for its renowned vaulted ceilings, an innovation designed by the Guastavino family, who worked with Charles McKim to open the unique exposed tiling as a design aesthetic-the interlocking Guastavino terracotta tiles add a majesty to the room carried throughout the McKim building. This system revolutionized structural design for decades. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_JfCpBXDgo
The HRC has engaged three incredible speakers for this program (see additional Bio information attached):
David Leonard President of the Boston Public Library
Ann M. Beha FAIA Founder and Principal of Ann Beha Architects (now Annum Architects)
John Ochsendorf MIT Professor of Architecture; Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Author of Guastavino Vaulting, the Art of Structural Tile.
Come early or stay late to explore the wonderful Copley Square area. Attendees will be able to informally walk through the BPL buildings before and after lunch.
Or take a tour Art & Architecture Tours at the Central Library | Boston Public Library
After the luncheon, be sure to attend the Fellows Investiture at 2 PM, just across the street at Trinity Church-another event you won't want to miss!
Space is limited, so sign up for our luncheon today.
Looking forward to seeing you in Boston!
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Robert Burns, AIA
2025 Chair
Historic Resources Committee Advisory Group
Richmond, VA
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