The Lawrenceville School’s Abbott Dining Hall, designed by the Philadelphia-based firm of Voith & Mactavish Architects LLP, has been honored with a fifth design award: the 2020 Institute of Classical Architecture and Art’s (ICAA) Stanford White Award in the category of Commercial, Civic and Institutional Architecture.
“We are deeply honored, along with our partners at Voith & Mactavish, to receive this award. A lot of thought went into what would not only make this building beautiful, but also what would make it ‘Lawrenceville,’ ” Lawrenceville’s Head of School Steve Murray said in a prepared statement. “One of the ways we preserve and transmit culture at Lawrenceville has been through the dining experience, breaking bread together, and Abbott provides a spectacular setting in which that can happen. Schools that know their history and preserve their traditions stay strong; there’s a clarity of purpose and mission – and architecture is an enduring and powerful way to achieve that.”
Built in 1962, Abbott is the dedicated dining hall for Lawrenceville School seniors and often serves as the site of special dinners and alumni events. It underwent a transformative redesign in 2018, thanks to the generosity of leadership donors Barbara and John J. Stephan (Class of 1959), as well as The Mario Family Foundation and Trustee Jeremy K. Mario (Class of 1988).
“Abbott is an outstanding example of historic continuity, thanks to the Stephans, the Mario family, and the work of other dedicated individuals who participate in the building’s design, construction, and devotion to historic preservation,” Michael Chae, president of Lawrenceville’s Board of Trustees and a 1986 graduate of the school, said in the statement.
The ICAA’s annual Stanford White Awards for Excellence in Classical and New Traditional Design recognize achievement in individual projects in architecture, interiors, landscape, urbanism, and building artisanship and artisanship throughout New York, New Jersey and Fairfield County, Connecticut, according to the statement.
Voith & Mactavish Principal Daniela Holt Voith explained that the ICAA is an organization whose mission is to further the appreciation and understanding of not just the classical idioms but also traditional architecture more generally.
“They look for excellence in design and execution and in this case I am sure that the jurors were impressed by the interiors as well,” she said in the statement. “Looking to the precedents of the Peabody and Stearns Upper House and the chapel, Abbott’s architecture is both respectful of those buildings but also innovative in its design solutions.”
She continued, “We are thrilled that Abbott has gained this recognition. Our task was to create a space that was unique to Lawrenceville, and to express the School’s history and the community’s sense of humor. Abbott is a space in which friendships are forged and traditions are preserved. It’s all about love and loyalty. I think Abbott delivers on the aspirations set forth by the School.”
One of the most dramatic changes to Abbott is the cathedral ceilings, complete with exposed wood beam trusses with metal tie-rods, reminiscent of the School’s Edith Memorial Chapel and a direct reference to the work of Peabody & Stearns, the prevalent architecture on campus, according to the statement.
Additional design awards for Abbott include:
- Best Educational Institutional Project Award, General Building Contractors Association, 2018
- Excellence in Craftsmanship Award, General Building Contractors Association, 2018
- Honorable Mention, International Interior Design Association PA/NJ/DE Interior Design Awards, 2019
- Honorable Mention, East Pennsylvania American Society of Interior Design Interior Design Awards, 2020
The Lawrenceville School, founded in 1810 and located in Lawrenceville, offers a comprehensive, coeducational program for more than 800 students in grades 9 through post-graduate, who come from 32 states and 38 countries/territories. For more information, visit www.lawrenceville.org.