• Type Renovation / Addition
• Services Architecture
• Size 48,000 SF
• Awards AIA Eastern PA

Fresh off an acquisition and looking to reposition its properties under a new roof, Hearst, a diversified media, information and service company established in 1887, targeted Easton, Pa. for its new location. The historic city provided easy proximity to New York City and quick access to nature as well as a lively, downtown scene with options for art, dining, shopping and entertainment. Hearst found a home in Heritage Riverview, a former Packard car dealership and autobody shop that later became a restaurant and a bowling alley.

Vacant since the late 1990s, Heritage Riverview plays an important role in downtown Easton’s urban fabric. Originally a single-story structure, this adaptive reuse project bucks the trend of high-density development in favor of preservation and right-sizing. Sitting along Third Street, Heritage Riverview greets visitors at the city’s southern gateway, which connects directly to Interstate 78 and serves as an important connection and introduction to Easton. Heritage Riverview anchors a series of historic structures on the east side of the block, opposite a new City Hall.

Careful consideration was given to preserving and incorporating the original terracotta detailing in the new building façade. The original structure was a single-story building that operated as a parking garage at street level. Below grade, small retail spaces were carved from the Third Street façade.

The main garage entrance has been repurposed to serve as Heritage Riverview’s lobby. The new, two-story structure incorporates an upper floor overbuild on the original structure, creating class-A office space in the historic downtown.

The new overbuild uses simple materials to create a harmonious contrast with the original terracotta detailing, which has been preserved as part of the main façade. The overbuild façade incorporates two original historic details to mark the new entry: the “Third Street Garage” frieze of letters and a circular element. Both items were elevated with the new brick façade and given new life above the lobby entrance. The overbuild façade subtly plays into the original tripartite rhythm of the façade by building the massing upwards toward the center.

Simple detailing of the overbuild continues around the building, incorporating the new dark brick into the lower-level facades where needed. A small portion of the original main façade was demolished and infilled with a new two-story curtain wall that heightens the contrast between old and new in Heritage Riverview as well as in relation to neighboring historic buildings.

The project integrated new streetscape detailing that creates a pedestrian-friendly sidewalk zone away
from vehicular traffic. It also incorporates a mid-street pedestrian crossing that relates to the Easton City Hall entrance on the west side of Third Street.

Dark brick and dark curtain wall is a purposeful choice that limits the palette and creates a harmonious contrast with the crème colored terracotta. This design builds on the language of dark and light materials used in the contemporary structures of Third Street, including the dark base of Easton City Hall.