Two Historical Preservation Projects in New Jersey Receive Design Awards
By Mel Fabrikant Monday, March 22, 2010, 09:47 AM EDT
Design Awards
Two historical preservation projects in New Jersey designed by Princeton, N.J.-based Farewell Mills Gatsch Architects have won Merit Awards in the "Historical Preservation" category from the New Jersey chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA-NJ). The awards for the preservation of Whig Hall in Princeton and the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton, both in Mercer County, N.J., were announced at AIA-NJ's annual Design Day event held at Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, N.J. The design awards were presented recently at an awards dinner at Thomas Edison College in Trenton, N.J.
"We are delighted to recognize these extraordinary designs," said Stacey Ruhle Kliesch, AIA, immediate past president of AIA-NJ. "The range of the award-winning entries -- from a university for Islamic sciences in Libya to these two outstanding historical preservation projects -- demonstrates the incredible versatility of our homegrown architectural talent."
Michael Farewell, FAIA, the partner in charge of design at Farewell Mills Gatsch Architects, said the firm was delighted to have won the awards.
"Renovating the state museum allowed us to restore the luster of this mid-century gem while reorganizing the visitor experience and providing the proper environment for the conservation of its great collections," he said. "The changes are subtle and restrained - the original building is given a fresh presence."
The historical preservation of the New Jersey State Museum included reconfiguring offices to accommodate student groups; installing a kitchen service area; adding a rooftop mechanical room, cabinets and storage rooms; enlarging the lobby and gallery spaces; and enhancing the acoustics and lighting, as well as restoring the finishes to match the originals.
The museum is a 1960s modernist structure that houses collections of fine arts, natural history, decorative arts, archaeology and ethnography and includes a planetarium as an attached pavilion. The renovation was necessitated by the burgeoning collections with their associated storage needs, an outdated and inadequate infrastructure, a confusing visitors' flow and less-than-adequate galleries.
The overall goals were to enhance the visitor experience, accommodate and protect the collections in appropriate climate-controlled environments and improve the staff and curatorial facilities, Farewell said.
The judges, who said they appreciated the "tremendous amount of time spent reorganizing without insulting original architecture," commended the preservation of the museum and praised the architects for being respectful of the original.
The historical preservation of Whig Hall was a two-phase project. The first phase involved repairing and replacing exterior elements, including the bases of the colossal columns, which were left in situ and suspended from above while new foundations, stairs and turned marble bases were installed.
The second, more recent, phase included installing new building systems and improved programs, code compliances, barrier-free accessibilities and energy efficiencies.
Whig Hall, one of a pair of neoclassical pavilions designed by A. Page Brown in 1893, was significantly transformed after a fire in 1969. The university retained Gwathmey Siegel and Associates Architects to redesign the interior in 1972. The firm seized the opportunity to pay homage to the 1920s avant-garde style within the classical cube of the original structure.
The result was a densely planned, layered composition that accommodated meeting spaces, offices, lounge and support spaces.
The strategy of the Farewell Mills Gatsch project was to preserve and restore to maintain the clarity of the Gwathmey Siegel design while making gentle adjustments for university needs, Michael Mills, partner in charge of preservation said. New elements include wood veneer clad, display cases and millwork.
The judges applauded the preservation of Whig Hall, adding that it was "elegant," "well done" and "faithful to Gwathmey."
AIA-NJ announced a total of 11 awards at the design conference. In addition to the historical preservation of Whig Hall and the New Jersey State Museum, the other winners included the following:
In the "Built" category, three Honor Awards were announced. The winners were the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Engineering Department, Design Division, for their ferry terminal at the World Financial Center in New York City and Ikon.5 Architects for the Hockessin Public Library in Hockessin, Del., and the Kirkwood Public Library in Kirkwood, Del. The Merit Award winners in the "Built" category were GRO Architects for PREttyFAB in Jersey City, N.J., and Anderson Architects for the Roberts Soccer Stadium at Princeton University.
The Honor Award winner in the "Unbuilt" category was RMJM Architects & Planners for the Al-asmariya University for Islamic Sciences, Zliten Campus in Zliten, Libya. Two Merit Awards in the "Unbuilt" category went to HDR CUH2A -- for the Headquarters for Telecommunications Regulatory Authority in Dubai, U.A.E., and for the Georgia Institute of Technology Carbon Neutral Energy Solutions Laboratory in Atlanta, Ga.
In the "Design/Build" category, the Honor Award went to Midouhas Architecture for the Nissenblatt Residence in Loveladies, N.J.
For more information on AIA-NJ, please visit the Web site at www.aia-nj.org.
