Massachusetts Historical Commission Honors BU Law Tower Renovation with Award
Given each year, the award recognizes architectural achievements that preserve the Commonwealth’s historic properties.
Boston University School of Law’s iconic law tower, which underwent a complete renovation last year, has been named the recipient of the 2016 Massachusetts Historical Commission Preservation Award. The award is given each year by the Massachusetts Historical Commission to recognize architectural achievements that preserve the Commonwealth’s valuable historic properties. Recipients of the award are recognized for preserving the Commonwealth’s resources, revitalizing neighborhoods, adding to the revenues of cities and towns, and preserving community character.
The 17-story law tower, originally built in 1964 and designed by Spanish architect Josep Lluis Sert, is a leading example of Brutalist architecture, and the campus’ first high-rise building. The tower saw a complete renovation in 2014–2015 with deliberate measures taken within the original architect’s design in order to make the existing building more accommodating to 21st-century needs.
The BU Law complex encompasses the Sumner M. Redstone Building and the law tower. The project took 10 years of planning and the support of the BU Law alumni community. The project was designed by the Bruner/Cott architectural firm and executed by the Skanska construction team.
The Redstone building, which opened in fall 2014, added nearly 100,000 square feet of modern space for students, faculty, and staff. In addition to the Samuel M. Fineman Law Library, the building features dining facilities and numerous study spaces, student lockers, as well as new facilities to support clinical, transactional, and professional training programs.
“This award is evidence of the support and dedication of the BU Law community, as well as the excellent work of Bruner/Cott and the Skanska construction team,” says Dean Maureen O’Rourke. “They designed and built a beautiful new home for BU Law, which we will enjoy for many years to come.”
BU Law will be honored at the Massachusetts Historical Commissions’ 38th Annual Preservation Awards ceremony on May 19th at the Massachusetts Archives Building.
