Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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HAUTE PROPERTY continued from page 117 1989. Friedman admits that the leap of faith required to take over the lease— at 40,000 square feet, the building is twice the size of Restoration Hardware's largest design gallery—was extraordinary, as the retailer didn't have much data suggesting that it could support a location of this magnitude. He credits advice from the company's chief creative officer as the catalyst for his signing on the dotted line: "Eri Chaya said to me, 'Gary, the next time this building will be available, you'll be dead.' That made a big impression on me." Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity Friedman turned to architect James Gillam, a principal of Backen, Gillam & Kroeger Architects, to help him realize his vision. Together they aspired to recreate the original museum experience, based on old photographs, drawings from the public library, and information from the current Museum of Science. The architect devised a loop concept so the space would feel more like a gallery than a retail store. "You can walk continuously through four large rooms and adjoining corridors without ever having to walk backwards out of a room," says Gillam. To bring back historical details, local artisans took painstaking measures, such as restoring the exterior stonework and original color of the plaster, as well as repairing decorative braces, coffers, trims, and arch surrounds on the second and third levels. New earthquake and floor-load codes were met by doubling the floors on all levels and reinforcing the original masonry components. The architect addressed other issues as well, such as having many of the windows dual glazed for energy conservation and making the entrances accessible to the handicapped. Then all the "enhancements" made in the 1940s to create more retail space were stripped away, including the mezzanines, the dropped ceilings, and the pedestrian elevator banks. "Peeling back the covered second and third floors to restore the original atrium allows you to see the 70-foot vaulted and coffered ceiling, restoring the grandness that existed in the original museum," says Gillam. Demolition of interior walls revealed the original winding staircase, now showcased behind steel and brick arches and fully encased in glass. Much as I.M. Pei's glass and steel pyramid entrance provides a counter—GARY FRIEDMAN point to the Renaissance architecture of the Louvre in Paris, a steel-and-glass conservatory-like pavilion now graces the store's new entrance from Newbury Street. The building was originally oriented toward Berkeley Street, so this was no small undertaking. In addition, Restoration Hardware preserved the original flowering magnolia trees and native New England perennials to fulfill the historical society's initial vision of being surrounded by nature. Says Friedman, "This building sits within its own park, completely detached on all four continued on page 120 "This building sits within its own park. You never see that in the middle of a city as significant as Boston." The exterior of the building, built in 1863, retains its original appearance. PHOTOGRAPHY BY RIXON PHOTOGRAPHY (EXTERIOR); MARK HUG/RESTORATION HARDWARE (STAIRCASE, OPEN FLOOR) BELOW: The elliptical staircase offers an elegant alternative to the glass elevator. RIGHT: The interior before the elevator was installed. 118 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM 117-120_BC_HP_Opener_LATESPRING_13.indd 118 4/10/13 12:08 PM