Leaning Out from the Curve
Trying to develop modern architecturally-interesting buildings in an iconic and established area is no easy feat. Besides being in a congested area, designers and builders had to contend with multiple restrictions such as strict zoning laws, FAA height requirements, Chapter 91 requirements by the governing waterfront development authority, and an unanticipated edict from the mayor of a major city, but the new commercial office building at 121 Seaport Boulevard in Boston turned a major obstacle into a distinct architectural advantage and feature.
Bruce T. Martin Photography
The new structure is a feature building in a town that has extraordinary architecture with centuries of history. 121 Seaport is a 17-story, 400,000-square foot, Class-“A” office building that has achieved LEED® Platinum certification. The office tower sits in the heart of Boston’s booming Seaport District, across from District Hall and Seaport Square Green, on Boston’s most sustainable block, which is also home to Skanska’s 101 Seaport and Watermark Seaport developments. Designed by CBT Architects, the building’s distinctive design will not only enhance the area’s architectural landscape and maximize the skyline visible from Seaport Square Green, it will also help reduce solar heat gain due to its shape.
Bruce Martin Photography
This is even more impressive when you think this “sea” of glass boxes (at the “Seaport”), constructed over the last decade, sits upon an underground transit line that drastically limited development opportunity. The site commanded creative orientation and material selection, and from these incremental developments has sprouted an unprecedented embodiment of environmentally sustainable design. The major highlight of 121 Seaport is its three-story lobby that faces Boston Harbor and opens onto Harbor Way, a future expansive 70-foot-wide pedestrian retail promenade located between 101 and 121 Seaport with 20,000-square-feet of open space and an interactive walking museum. CBT’s pronounced and innovative lobby design called for an innovative and intricate glass design. The design team enlisted the help of a nationally-acclaimed partner in W&W Glass, LLC to help with the details and engineering. W&W worked closely with the awarded local installer Karas and Karas Glass to supply the system. The vertical glass entrance is made with Pilkington Planar™ outward sloping, vertical face glass and fins made of Optiwhite low-iron Sentryglas® laminated glass connected together with Pilkington Planar™ 905 series fittings. The interior lighting scheme creates a dramatic effect, which is further reinforced by the building’s curved interior finishes.
Bruce Martin Photography
The building’s previous owner Skanska had already leased the entire building out 100% when it sold the building to a joint venture of American Realty Advisors and Norges Bank Real Estate Management back in mid-December 2018. The feature tenant is Alexion, a global biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and delivering life-changing therapies for patients with rare diseases. For a look more commercial office projects and many others, log on to www.wwglass.com.
W&W Glass LLC is a family owned business with a 70-year history in the metal and glass industry, one of the largest metal and glass companies in the New York metropolitan area and the largest supplier of structural glass systems in the country. We have over two decades of experience in the design and installation of various building enclosure systems, including stick-built curtain walls, pre-glazed unitized curtain walls, Pilkington Planar™ structural glass facades, and custom metal and glass enclosure systems. We install all of our work with our own dedicated union labor force. W&W is consistently the largest employer of glaziers in the NY metropolitan area.
