BELLVILLE TURNVEREIN PAVILION RECEIVES EXCELLENCE IN HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE AWARD
The Bellville Turnverein Pavilion has been recognized by the Texas Historical Commission (THC).
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The Turnverein is the 2023 recipient of the Excellence in Historic Architecture Award, which acknowledges an architect or architectural firm for exemplary work that made a significant contribution to the preservation of Texas’ architectural heritage.
The honor is one of 10 annual THC Preservation Awards that recognize individuals and organizations involved in various aspects of historic preservation.
The 1897 Bellville Turnverein, a 12-sided historic dance and social hall, was restored and returned to productive use as an event venue after Hurricane Harvey caused damage to several wooden elements throughout the structure.
The project introduced air conditioning to a previously unconditioned building in a way that did not visually impact the interior space, particularly the exposed wood roof structure. Several multi-split units were hidden under the floor, with ventilation ducts placed in the reconstructed perimeter seating platform. As a result, no HVAC ductwork is visible, and the character of the open roof wood structure is preserved.
The awards will be presented at the THC’s Real Places 2024 conference to be held April 3-5 in Austin and online.