The historic Mugar Memorial Library designed by Josep Lluis Sert was part of a post-WWII Boston University Campus Master Plan to consolidate the campus’s facilities into a unified campus along Commonwealth Avenue. The library was strategically positioned as both a campus anchor and a gateway, with courtyards and pathways designed to foster community.

Our renovation scope addresses material upgrades, accessibility compliance, and spatial improvements to the library’s surrounding exterior spaces. Work encompasses four primary areas: the Entry Courtyard along Commonwealth Avenue, the Interior Courtyard shared with George Sherman Union, the Bay State Road frontage, and the East Entry from Campus Walk. Key improvements include resurfacing and regrading of deteriorated brick and stone paving to meet MAAB accessibility requirements, and replacement of the aging tree canopy. The project also seeks to enhance the Entry Courtyard’s role as a flexible, multi-use gathering space within the urban campus context, while improving connections to the broader campus walk network.