A legendary Boston pub was closed and BLOOM was selected to study its reuse as a flexible tech center for university students and the local Roxbury community. On an extremely tight, highly visible corner site across from the Museum of Fine Arts, the renovated building is envisioned clad in a zinc coated skin giving a monolithic, hull-like appearance. The form reflects the changing light as well as the movement of students, trains, cars and museumgoers, all of whom traverse this street.
An impressive cantilevered roof at the street corner creates a sheltered mini-plaza, allowing queueing for events and widening the pedestrian way.
A braced frame enables full height windows to replace masonry walls, and and the openings are canted and shifted, creating the appearance of movement and echoing the Green Line Trolley that crosses in front throughout the day.
At night the building lights up, the technology within becomes visible from the street.
Rooftop "lanterns" serve to bring additional light to the otherwise dark center of the triangular building during the day, and also light up at night giving the small building more presence among its taller neighbors.
