Conservatory restoration | New England Conservatory

Founded in 1867, the New England Conservatory, Boston, is the oldest independent school of music in the United States. Recently, four buildings on campus underwent exterior renovations:

• Jordan Hall (290 Huntington Avenue). This 1,013-seat hall has been central to the musical life of New England since 1903. The design and shop drawings for the building's restoration were reviewed by the Massachusetts Historical Commission to be sure they complied with the National Historic Landmarks program. One of the biggest challenges was finding marble to match the original columns and rosette medallions on the facade, which after 100 years were beginning to crumble. The original marble had been imported from Africa, but similar marble was no longer available. After months of research, the project team imported marble from Italy with similar grain and variation of color.

• 295 Huntington Avenue. This building is on the National Register of Historic Places. The team replaced the slate roof, added snow rails and replaced deteriorated wooden windows with energy-efficient, insulated aluminum windows.

• 241 St. Botolph Street. The original masonry was restored, and old wooden windows were replaced. This building also is on the National Register of Historic Places.

• 33 Gainsborough Street. The brick and stucco facade was repaired.

During the planning stages last spring, sound mock-ups enabled the project team to coordinate the construction activities around the Conservatory's active events and recording-arts schedule.

Wessling Architects (Quincy, Mass.) was architect for the project. Tishman Construction (Boston) was construction manager.