Project name: Berklee Tower, Berklee College of Music
Project overview: Fronting on Massachusetts Avenue, this multi-use 370-bed residence hall for Berklee College of Music strengthens the College’s multiple connections to the City of Boston. The transparent facade reveals the life of the building while creating an active urban street edge. The building includes student housing, a 400-seat, two-story Dining Hall serving as a student performance venue overlooking the street, student activity and gathering spaces, ground-floor retail, and the largest recording facility for an educational institution in the country.
The centerpiece of the residence hall is, as summarized by the College’s president, “a performance space that can double as a dining hall by day.” The space is centered on a stage wrapped on three sides by a balcony – like a concert hall or theater. Because the stage is located directly behind the 40-foot glass wall, musicians are highly visible to the city – showcasing the deep talent and energy of the school’s students.
Project location: Boston, Massachusetts
Firm name: William Rawn Associates
Completion: 2013
Client: Berklee College of Music
Jury comments: The jury appreciates that the project provides a well loved well utilized hub for an urban campus that reinforces its presence and identity. Not only has this project stood the test of time with regards to relevance and materiality, it has performed as a catalyst for defining a place for the Berklee community.
General Contractor: Lee Kennedy Company Structural Engineer: LeMessurier Consultants Mechanical & Electrical Engineer: Rist-Frost-Shumway Engineering Civil Engineer: Nitsch Engineering Landscape Architect: Landworks Studio Interior Designer: Lab [3.2] Architecture Lighting Consultant: Lam Partners Acoustical Engineering (Music Technology Spaces): Walters-Storyk Design Group Acoustical Engineering (Residence Hall & Cafeteria) & AV Consultant: Acentech Photographer : Robert Benson, Bruce T. Martin, Michael D. Spencer, Berklee Instagram @cafshows
