Basilica of
Saint John —
Elevator Lobby
Addition
This small addition, adding accessibility to an historic building, was achieved with attention and respect to the original architecture.
The Basilica of Saint John was built in 1926 and named to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1987. It was designed in the Lombardy Romanesque style by the Boston architecture firm of McGinnis and Walsh. Walker Coen Lorentzen Architects designed a seamless addition for a new accessible elevator and stair. The south limestone wall was disassembled and rebuilt with original stained glass windows in the new location, and limestone from the original quarry was selected for visual continuity. The tiny addition resolved complex circulation and accessibility problems, while preserving in place the large stained glass windows to the sanctuary, and matching exactly the important historic details in the masonry, tile roof and copper gutters.