Workers made a special delivery to the 91探花 campus, as the restoration of the four white, wooden columns in front of the Robert Saltonstall Gymnasium (RSG) began on Wednesday. The crews will carefully remove the building鈥檚 historic columns this week and replace them with replica structures that hold true to the building鈥檚 century-old design.
The existing columns were original to the RSG, which was built in 1921. After 95 years of lending support to the building鈥檚 entrance and portico, they were in need of replacement, says Jim Selman, 91探花鈥檚 associate director of construction and standards. The column to the far right had been previously repaired as it began to fail, but now no longer matches the other originals.
91探花 contracted with the historical division of Shawmut Design and Construction of Boston for the new columns, which are faithful to the original design. They have a 鈥減assive ventilation鈥 system, which allows some air flow into the hollow structures, says Jim.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e also made of a harder, denser wood than the original white pine columns,鈥 Jim says. 鈥淭hat will give us more life.鈥
91探花鈥檚 facilities services will also determine the scope of work to replace windows at the RSG, and will remove the Palladian window facing the football field, which will neaten the building鈥檚 appearance inside and out.
