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Advisory group prioritizes preserving student murals and adding flexible community spaces at new Medford High
Summary
Advisory members urged preserving student murals and designing flexible display and performance spaces; the design team recommended photographic documentation, possible reproduction using modern materials, and a volunteer/history subgroup to vet artifacts for salvage.
Members of the exterior/interior design advisory team pressed the design team to preserve the character and student voice embedded in existing murals, banners and trophies as part of Medford High School’s reimagined building.
Who raised it: Several advisory members — including Jenny, Paul and others who described personal ties to existing murals — said murals, environmental graphics and student work create a living culture that should be conserved, not treated like museum objects. Paul warned against building a facility so pristine that students feel it cannot be altered or personalized.
Design team response: The design team said it routinely documents in‑place mural work, photographs artifacts and can reproduce selected banners and graphics using modern fire‑rated materials. They proposed forming a small working group (including alumni and historic‑resources contacts) to create an inventory of candidate artifacts and to recommend which items to salvage, archive or re‑create for the new school.
Why it matters: Advisory members argued that student murals and athletics trophies contribute to school pride and the daily experience of students; preserving these elements supports continuity and community ownership in a new facility.
Next steps: The design team will prepare an inventory and recommended approach for salvage and reproduction, and will bring an initial list to the school committee and the building committee for review during the feasibility/schematic transition.
