Project

A Strategic Revitalization

Collaboration and innovation are key for a complex, multi-phased building restoration

The First Church of Christ, Scientist

Boston, Massachusetts

The first phase of a multi-phased renovation to The First Church of Christ, Scientist, an icon in the City of Boston, has been completed. The building is part of a prominent 14.5-acre site that is the largest privately-owned, yet publicly accessible space in Boston. This phase included the interior repair and restoration of The Mother Church Original. Finegold Alexander’s design strategically inserted updated electrical and life safety systems into the existing building fabric to bring the building up to code, while leaving the original interiors virtually intact. Additional interior work included plaster repairs, restoration of damaged stonework and mosaic tile, and restoration of the decorative painting.

(Photo credit: Robert Benson Photography)

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Size
192,000 SF
Scope
Historic Preservation
Program
Place of Worship
Sustainability
Awards
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"We are delighted to see the completed restoration of the interior of The Mother Church Original, an architectural masterpiece and central place of worship, to its original condition."
Jack Train, Real Estate Assets Director, The First Church of Christ, Scientist

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The interior plaster and decorative painting had suffered from extensive water damage over the years, requiring comprehensive restoration. Interior interventions included the replacement of cotton-wrapped electrical wiring; repairs to associated plaster trenching; upgrades to fire and life-safety systems; and compliance with accessibility requirements.

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“Our goal was to refresh the building yet leave no trace of our work so that it looks as it did when it was originally completed in 1894.”
Regan Shields Ives, Principal, Finegold Alexander