Tag: modernism
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Marlborough Registry of Motor Vehicles
Marlborough, MA, 1960 by Samuel Glaser This polite, round, little building has been greeting visitors to Marlborough on the Southborough border for almost 65 years. It is defined by its white brick and circular design with a facade broken up by full length windows framed by steel beams. It served as one of Metrowest’s outposts…
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Carousel Office Park
Framingham, MA, 1971, 1978 by Beckstoffer and Associates A lesser known development by famous developer Gerald Hines, the Carousel Office Park consists of one massive structure broken up into three connected buildings. The structure was originally built with only two, but a third building for office space was added less than ten years later. All…
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Center Pumping Station
Framingham, MA, 1966 As one of 43 sewer pumping stations in the city, this small yellow brick building off of Route 9 plays an important role in keeping Framingham healthy and clean. At these sites throughout the city sewage is collected and actively pumped to higher ground so it can flow by gravity to the…
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Cinema I, II, III, & IV
Framingham, MA, 1951 by Benjamin Schlanger Like the rest of Shoppers’ World, the construction of General Cinema’s Framingham Cinema was heralded as an achievement in its field. Designed by noted theater architect Ben Schlanger, the one seat theater boasted over 1,400 staggered seats for a better view of its 30 foot long frameless screen. As…
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Jordan Marsh Department Store
Framingham, MA, 1951 by George L. Ely No modern building looms larger in the memories of Metro West than the original Shoppers’ World. The shadow it casts over not just Massachusetts but the national development scene is too large to be contained in only one building. So we wanted to take a deep dive into…
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Shoppers’ World
Framingham, MA, 1951 by Ketchum, Giná & Sharp Tell anyone in Massachusetts you live in Natick or Framingham and they’ll inevitably bring up the malls. Since the 1950s, the stretch between the two towns known as the Golden Triangle has attracted visitors from across the Commonwealth and beyond in search of convenience and comfort while…
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Paul F Barbieri Jr. Middle School
Framingham, MA 1973 by Drummey, Rosane, and Anderson In the early 1970s, Framingham was faced with a serious problem. Since World War II, the town had almost tripled in population and town facilities were struggling to keep up. To accommodate their growing population, the town authorized the construction of three new school buildings – Barbieri,…
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Abele Residence
Framingham, MA, 1941, by Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer Located on the shores of Framingham Reservoir 1, the Abele House sits as a rich representation of early 20th century modern home design. The building is sited to maximize views of the water with expansive windows facing south and west. Keen eyed viewers may recognize elements…
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The Rivers Country Day School
Weston, MA, 1960-1965 by Huygens and Chapman While vacationing through Europe in 1956, the headmaster of the Rivers School George Blackwell and his wife Ethel had a chance encounter with a young Remmert Huygens on his way to work in Marcel Breuer’s office in New York City. George had recently overseen the purchase of a…
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Henry Whittemore Library
Framingham, MA 1963-1969 by Desmond and Lord In the 1960s, Framingham State saw unprecedented growth for what had begun as the first of the commonwealth’s public schools for teachers in 1839. The beginning of the decade saw the introduction of liberal arts degrees and masters programs as the school was renamed from Framingham State Teachers…