Contract - October 2012 - (Page 55)

By Murrye Bernard Photography by Anton Grassl / Esto Paul S. Russell, MD Museum of Medical History and Innovation A museum dedicated to the 200-year history of Massachusetts General Hospital highlights the evolution of medicine and clinical practice A hospital visit is an event most people attempt to avoid, but Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital draws an audience not in need of medical attention. The new Paul S. Russell, MD Museum of Medical History and Innovation, designed by Leers Weinzapfel Associates (LWA), is the first fully dedicated, freestanding hospital museum in the United States. The 9,700 square-foot, two-story building—named for Dr. Paul S. Russell, a longtime Mass General physician who spearheaded efforts behind the project—was funded entirely through philanthropy. Within, permanent and temporary exhibitions convey the hospital’s achievements and 200-year history, and provide an overview of the evolution of medical research and practice. Sited at the main entrance to Mass General’s 18-acre urban campus, the museum establishes a gateway to the hospital while connecting it to Beacon Hill, one of Boston’s oldest neighborhoods. “Typical of hospital campuses, the Mass General campus is oriented inward, so the museum provided an opportunity to connect with the neighboring community,” explains LWA Principal Jane Weinzapfel, FAIA. copper-tinted, ceramic-fritted glass that complements the exterior copper panels above and improves the building’s energy performance. LWA selected copper as the exterior cladding material for the main volume of the museum for several reasons: It is low-maintenance and recyclable, and the surface will patinate beautifully over time, complementing details on buildings throughout Beacon Hill as well as the nearby dome of the Bulfinch Building—the original home of the hospital. On the museum’s main facade, LWA oriented the copper panels horizontally to accentuate its length along Cambridge Street. The pattern is punctured by a projecting window that offers a modern take on the oriel window—a type of bay window that is commonly spotted throughout Beacon Hill. Flexible program, durable finishes The museum’s ground floor houses permanent exhibitions, and an open stairway leads to the mezzanine-like second level, which presents the temporary exhibitions but also hosts both public lectures and private hospital functions. A roof garden with seating and a steel pergola allows sweeping views of Boston. “We really count to three public levels because the garden is a public space on the roof as well,” explains Peter High visibility, inside and out K. Johnson, director of the museum. Glazing along the lower level of the museum affords passersby In designing the exhibits, flexibility was key. “We don’t want this glimpses of the exhibition spaces within, peaking curiosity and museum to just be about the past,” says Johnson. So the exhibit generating interest for those outside while achieving the community designer, Museum Design Associates, arranged the displays by theme connection. “We provided a transparent base so there is a great deal of permeability between pedestrians and the activities within the museum rather than chronology. “If you spend a couple of hours here, you get a pretty good idea of the evolution of medicine over 200 years,” he says. at the first floor,” explains Weinzapfel. The architects selected a contract

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - October 2012

Contract - October 2012
Contents
Editorial
Industry News
Exhibition: HD Boutique
Product Focus: Take a Hint
Product Briefs: Health and Wellness
Dale and Frances Hughes Cancer Center
Los Angeles Center for Women’s Health
Paul S. Russell, MD Museum of Medical History and Innovation
Healthcare Environment Awards
Kaleida Health, Clinical and Medical Research Building
Old Town Recovery Center
Baystate Medical Center
Legacy Health Randall Children’s Hospital
Memorial Sloan-Kettering, Brooklyn Infusion Center
Community Hospital @ Yishun
Mercy Medical Center Rooftop Garden
Rehab + Space Center
Heart Care Center
Practice: “Next Practices” in Healthcare Design
Design: Foster + Partners Develops Master Plan for Cleveland Clinic Growth
Exhibition: Studio Gang Architects at the Art Institute of Chicago
Designers Select: Lighting
Sources
Ad Index
Renovation: Saving Lives by Updating an Icon

Contract - October 2012