LARSON ARCHITECTURE WORKS Re-Imagining a New Pine Plains Memorial Hall And Other Interesting Projects with Imaginative Archi - Texture By Diana Niles King

Pine Plains Memorial Hall. New entry (now under construction) facing Route 199, for mechanicals, handicapped-access elevator, and stair to lower level restrooms. Also showing proposed side porch facing Stissing House lawn.

Ryerson Studio

LARSON ARCHITECTURE WORKS

Re-Imagining a New Pine Plains Memorial Hall And Other Interesting Projects with Imaginative Archi - TextureBy Diana Niles King

Pine Plains Memorial Hall. New entry (now under construction) facing Route 199, for mechanicals, handicapped-access elevator, and stair to lower level restrooms. Also showing proposed side porch facing Stissing House lawn. photo: Ryerson Studio

On behalf of The Country and Abroad, I recently had the pleasure of visiting with Doug Larson, Director of Architecture and Design for his firm, Larson Architecture Works in his Pine Plains office. Readers of this publication will recall that Doug Larson has been celebrated as the designer and executor-in-chief of the historical, delightful mural that covers one side of the Pine Plains Platter building next door.

While meeting with Doug to inquire about the final designs for the

reimagining and repurposing of Pine Plains Memorial Hall—Larson’s mega-project now in hand, our conversation begins with Larson’s thoughts about the design process. “Everything, every single aspect,” he says, “must be taken into consideration: the physical and non-physical surroundings, site-specific challenges, historical references, individual (or corporate and civic) tastes, styles, and behaviors, sociological inferences, regulations, restrictions, shifting demographics and trends—these are all part of the mix.” He is describing a process

Theater Green: Dutchess County Planning suggestion for a porch and a “Theater Green” between Pine Plains Memorial Hall and Stissing House

similar to the weaving together of many disparate threads—some rough, some smooth, bumpy, plain, and fancy—into a cohesive, beautiful tapestry … a kind of “Archi – Texture,” if you will. With this word in mind, Larson now lead us through his plans for Memorial Hall.

When Larson first encountered Memorial Hall, in its dilapidated and derelict state, it was a big hulking building with a formal Mansard roof… an outof-synch mash-up of factory and residential. Kind of mysterious, he thought, except for the big “laundromat” sign across the side. When the building finally came up for auction and potential investor, Jack Banning, asked Doug what he thought, you can imagine, given his first impressions, he might have said “not much.”

Despite first impressions, the re-imagining of Pine Plains Memorial Hall has become Larson’s project. As architect/archi- texture-in-chief, he jumps in with enthusiasm and gusto. Using his “multi-thread” approach, he addresses PPMH’s considerable liabilities: The building did not seem to relate to the town or say “come on in;” it did not have a real presence on the street, nor did it relate to its immediate surroundings. The brick façade was trying to fall apart, and the interior was a rabbit warren of little shops with an old proscenium theater half-obscured.

Larson began with a double-height, 12-foot build-out porch, bringing the building closer to the street and providing a welcoming new entrance and vestibule. Although to be constructed in steel and concrete, the porch design mimics the adjacent second-floor Stissing House porch as well as the Pharmacy’s across the street—Larson’s nice touch of Pine Plains’ “archi- textural”

solidarity. Larson also plans to open out the side of the building, facing The Stissing House. He will turn the windows into doors, giving onto a second-floor balcony, overlooking the “theater green” between The Stissing House and PPMH… a nice spot for a little band concert on a lovely evening.

The steel porches add an appropriate drama to a building that might have had a few little columns and a classical pediment in the hands of another chef. Larson also thinks that the steel porches add an appropriate agrarian context, referencing the tall grain silos just around the corner. He adds another important note here: his sturdy porches help buttress the brick façade that was perilously close to falling apart!

Inside Memorial Hall, Larson designs a simple, clean, modern, open space… proper proscenium stage at one end, a raised perimeter gallery around the sides. There is to be no fixed seating, allowing for multi-use… concerts, theater, dining, and dancing. The real “star” of the interior space, he says, is the decorated tin ceiling; he intends to leave it completely intact, refreshed, and repainted as a tribute to the Hall’s historic past.

Construction has already begun. PPMH’s first event is scheduled for Summer 2019. Although it will still be in rough form, says Larson, it will be welcoming and warm, light-filled, and with banners flying from the new porches.

Memorial Hall is a major project for Larson; however, it is one of numerous other projects that Larson has going in the other disciplines of rural and urban residential design, retail, and hospitality, along with corporate and institutional work. Interested to learn more about Larson Architecture Works (and where), I asked for more details.

Theater Green: Dutchess County Planning suggestion for a porch and a “Theater Green” between Pine Plains Memorial Hall and Stissing House

Clinton Corners Residence, showing new entry court and outbuildings.

Doug Larson

J. McLaughlin store, Palm Beach, Florida

J. McLaughlin

Larson has recently finished a re-imagining of a country house in Clinton Corners, which he took on as a “shell,” after construction had been halted during the recession. There was just “no there there,” Larson says. To create a “there,” Larson designed an arrival courtyard, added a mudroom to one side, installed Chinese Chippendale railings around the upper porches, re-organized the interior of the house, turning the once-to-be ballroom into a glamorous kitchen. The grand Italianate Hudson River House details that the original builder seemed desperate to use are now combined with other design references—classical and contemporary—creating in Larson’s hands a harmonious “archi-textural” style.

I was about to finish our visit when I noticed a picture of the J. McLaughlin store on Franklin Avenue in Millbrook in a collage of project photos. I just had to ask about one of my favorite stores, and what it was doing here. Larson proudly explained that he has been working for McLaughlin for almost twenty years and has been (and is) responsible for all store interior design… And their fleet of stores now numbers 130. Larson needs to make each store different,

and unique. A store must reflect the personality and individuality of its host location. Unlike conventional retail “prototype roll-outs” (a technical term says Larson), there is nothing cookie- cutter or prototype about the McLaughlin stores. Different colors and color combinations, different textures, and lots and lots of hands-on, including Doug and his wife, Torrie, doing lots of the interior painting themselves…which they say is great fun and very satisfying!

After thanking Doug for his time, I take a little walk down the street to revisit Memorial Hall once again. So excited and enthusiastic about Larson’s vision and watching the project come to life, I look forward to next Summer’s Memorial Hall debut—with porches “porching,” buttresses in place, now lively and living—with all banners flying.

Diana Niles King traveled the world with her mother for the last decade and often shared those experiences with The Country and Abroad. Starting a new chapter, Diana plans to explore her immediate environment, as well as the world-at-large, bringing new insights and perspectives to future reports.