The 600-acre estate and mansion created by streetcar and real estate magnate Henry E. Huntington in San Marino has become a major public attraction known for its botanical gardens, library and art collections. The original carriage house, a 7,100 square-foot neo-classical building designed by Myron Hunt, was never part of the public realm. Historically used as a garage and chauffeur’s quarters, it had become a storage facility for lawn mowers and garden equipment.
The firm programmed and designed a restoration of the building exterior and adaptive re-use of the interior as a changing exhibition gallery for the art and library divisions. The MaryLou and George Boone Gallery includes 4,100 square feet of exhibition space, a satellite museum store, preparators’ area, exhibit staging and support facilities.
The concrete exterior was water damaged and deteriorated. Restoration included a seismic upgrade, new plaster finish and paint, and damaged portions of the concrete balustrade and cornice were repaired or replaced. The large double hung windows were retained and a dual shading system added to control natural light levels.
The architectural design of the gallery is a composition of details which refer to classical design, but are interpreted and executed in modern form. The entry lobby is both, literally and metaphorically, transitional space between exterior and interior, between classical and contemporary. The entry double glass doors recall the original design intent, shown on the original Hunt drawings, while the glass gallery doors are a reinterpretation. Six new skylights and four custom-designed cast stone plinth light fixtures flood the lobby with light, while the plaster walls and ceilings provide color, texture and a domestic scale. The project received a preservation award in May of 2000 from the Los Angeles Conservancy.
