Newton MA Modern

Leventhal House // 1949

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An early and distinctive example of an architect-designed Modern/International style residence, the Leventhal House in Newton has been lovingly updated and restored by owners since it was built in 1949. Boston-based Modernist architect, Samuel Glaser, designed the jewel-box Leventhal House for Muriel and Norman B. Leventhal, founder and chairman of The Beacon Companies, a developer and manager of office buildings, housing, and hotels in the Boston area. The Leventhal’s were also collectors of historic maps and in 2004, partnered with the Boston Public Library creating the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library which make many historic maps available for research. The Leventhal House stands on a steep rise at the base of Oak Hill and was built soon after the adjacent 1946 Kaplan House designed by Walter Gropius and the Architects Collaborative. The property has been recently restored by Flavin Architects, who did an exceptional job to modernize this early Modern home for 21st century living, while staying true to the significance and architectural qualities of the 1949 design.

Former Newton Savings Bank Building // 1962

Buildings of New England3 Comments

Opened in 1962 as the Newton Savings Bank, this unique Mid-20th century Modern banking structure showcases the forms and materials not conceived in previous decades. The building is located on the Newton Centre Green, adjacent to the former Newton Centre Methodist Episcopal Church, and provides a sharp contrast between the stone building in the Romanesque style and more contemporary forms. The bank was designed by Bastille and Halsey Associates, established in 1953 by partners, Robert Adams Bastille and William Ashbaugh Halsey. Now occupied by a Citizens Bank with professional offices also inside, the building exhibits precast concrete “zipper” banding between floors that are broken up by solid brick masses in the facade. What do you think of these corporate modern buildings?