Description
Located directly below the Senate Chamber of Charles Bulfinch’s 1797 Massachusetts State House, the Doric Hall is a historic public display and assembly space with views onto Boston Common. The Massachusetts Bureau of State Office Buildings retained our firm for the design of a vertical wheelchair lift and architectural enclosure to provide wheelchair users with unassisted access to the Doric Hall while maintaining egress passage through an existing open stairway. Constrained by limited dimensional clearances, the architects designed this high profile lift and new stair handrails in compliance with elevator, egress and architectural access regulations while retaining the historic character and openness of the space and maximizing ease of use by the general public. With this design, wheelchair users are afforded fully independent access to Doric Hall without the need to call for a key or assisting personnel, thus demonstrating the state’s commitment to universal access in its historic properties.
Gallery
Before & After
