Boston Perspective: Architectural Flare for Collectors

Morehouse MacDonald + Frausto was featured in the March 2000 issue of the highly coveted industry periodical Architectural Digest for its work on the ‘Boston Tower Penthouse‘ project. Working in tandem with the Boston interior design firm Bierly-Drake Associates, the apartment design was conceived to showcase the owner’s collection of contemporary paintings and sculptures.

Located in the Ritz-Carlton House Tower, the penthouse features commanding views of the adjacent Boston Public Garden and the city and Charles River beyond. “Our original idea was to treat the apartment as an art gallery,” states John MacDonald in the six-page feature. “We wanted the vocabulary to be strong enough to display the art but neutral enough to not overwhelm it.”

The Hall space serves as an art gallery in the apartment, with wall detailing that reads like architectural coining and modernized barrel vaulting to dramatize the importance of the space. Title image: courtesy of Architectural Digest, All rights reserved.

Such an ambition is not necessarily an easy task. While it is a common approach to utilize a crisp modern architectural aesthetic for projects that display art, MM+F, in this case, sought to infuse the project with a degree of historical pedigree as well, employing a barrel vault and horizontal reveals on the walls of the entry hall, thus giving the important gallery space a sense of gravitas. “Barrel vaulting is a nice way of letting the architecture define the procession,” says MacDonald in the Architectural Digest feature.

Resources

Architecture: Morehouse MacDonald + Frausto

Interiors: Bierly-Drake Associates, Inc.

General Contractor: Hollett Building Corporation, Inc.