Architects McKim, Meade & White won a design competition in 1886 for this distinguished Renaissance Revival building on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston’s Back Bay. The first purpose built clubhouse in Boston, it has a richly embellished interior with finishes and furnishings supervised by the architects and an important collection of fine art. At its founding the Algonquin Club was unique in admitting women, although they were restricted to certain areas, and was dubbed “a pioneer” in the movement of “mixed clubs” by the New York Times.

 

Our firm was enlisted by the club leadership to conduct a comprehensive assessment of physical conditions at the building. Our report included an alteration and maintenance chronology from the building’s completion in 1888 to the present and provided prioritized recommendations and estimates for preservation and repair. We also provided conceptual design options for improved access at the main entry that were sensitive to the character of the historic limestone facade.