Haverhill, MA
Design Competition, 2022
Type: Civic / Arts / Adaptive Reuse
Theme: Making & Learning
We designed the Historic New England Center for Preservation—a public-facing and broadly-engaging cultural venue—to act as a catalyst and centerpiece in the development of a new cultural district. Located in the historic Lang building at 151 Essex Street, the HNE Center would accommodate a curatorial vision that integrates storytelling with the visible acts of conservation, and programming to take it from being a rarified collection to one that draws locals and visitors alike.
For nearly a century, Haverhill was known as the Queen Slipper City, for its vast shoemaking industry.
An aerial image of Downtown Haverhill shows the waterfront location along the Merrimack River, and the rail line, offering quick connection to Boston and neighboring cities.
The Burgess and Lang buildings once housed the largest shoe factory in the world! Now, The Historic New England Center for Preservation runs a vast collections facility in the Lang Building.
Could we imagine, within the historic structure, a new home, a new Historic New England Center for Preservation? In placing a public plaza between the buildings, might we envision a new cultural district?
The Pavilion would connect the Lang and Burgess Buildings, and could display rotating collections, film screenings, events, and more.
