Richardson Center Corporation, Buffalo, NY
Restoration and revival for modern use
The former Buffalo State Hospital, a National Historic Landmark designed by H.H. Richardson, is being transformed into a mixed-use campus of public and private activities. As preservation architect working with Deborah Berke & Partners and Flynn Battaglia Architects, Goody Clancy is charged with the core building exterior renovation, which includes the iconic Towers Administration Building and the two adjoining buildings, which together will house a hotel, event and conference space, and the Buffalo Architecture Center.
The complex was designed by Richardson in 1872 with landscape design by Frederick Law Olmsted following the Kirkbride Plan guidelines established in the 1860s to create a humane treatment environment through the design and organization of the buildings and grounds.
The project will preserve, rehabilitate, and adaptively reuse the core of the Richardson Olmsted Complex’s buildings and north landscape, providing a sustainable and innovative design. By respecting the original architects’ intent and surviving fabric, the program, preservation and economic goals of the project come together to create an inspiring reuse for this historic site.
Goody Clancy’s 2010 Historic Structure Report for the complex provided a full understanding of the historic significance of the buildings, their current conditions, the character-defining features and significance, and the appropriate treatment recommendations. The report is a valuable tool for the subsequent reuse planning and a foundation for the exterior envelope renovation that includes the masonry, roof, and windows.
