The Boston Back Bay skyline will never be the same, but maybe that’s a good thing.
Planning around historic architecture is no small feat. And in a town such as Boston, where history is the rule, not the exception, any new structure takes cautious consideration. That’s what Pei Cobb Freed & Partners have managed to achieve at One Dalton Street.
The Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences at One Dalton Street is the newest, and one of Boston’s tallest, residential buildings. Construction is well underway on the 61-story, $700m tower, with a completion date set in 2017, says Sharon McHugh, U.S. Correspondent for World Architecture News.
Pei Cobb Freed & Partners collaborated with Cambridge Seven Associates on the design, which will ultimately include 20 floors of hotel on the lower portion, with private residences on the floors above the hotel. The private residences will also have a private entrance to the building, according to Cambridge Seven Associates.
The Back Bay area boasts some of America’s most beautiful architecture, and One Dalton Street is managing to fit in.
Considerations Involved with Building in Historic Areas
The architects involved in this project had a definite design challenge, says Harry Cobb. The need for growth in the city is apparent, but at the same time, proper respect for the historic setting is a requirement.
The building design has a softly curved, triangular shape, which Cambridge Seven Associates says reflects the street pattern surrounding the area. The building design also took into consideration the nearby Christian Science Church Plaza. On the ground floor, a cafe on Belvedere Street hopes to “enliven the street edge.”
Even the entrances to the building will be situated toward a park that’s also under construction, instead of toward the busy traffic of Belvedere Street.
30 Dalton Completes the Project
The Four Seasons tower isn’t the only new building in this project. Another, called 30 Dalton, is connected to the main tower by a 5,000 square foot park, whose designer is Michael Van Valkenburg Associates, according to McHugh.
The 30 Dalton building is residential, featuring 218 luxury rental apartments, parking below grade, and a retail space situated on the ground floor. Pei Cobb Freed & Partners and Cambridge Seven Associates teamed with Pritzker Realty Group on its design.
The building’s form complements, but isn’t identical to, the Four Seasons neighbor. And as with the entrances at the Four Seasons, the lobby at 30 Dalton faces the new park instead of busy traffic.
Architects like you design dreams.
What Makes This Project Unique
The Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences at One Dalton has the distinction of becoming the tallest building built in New England since the 1970s, according to Carpenter & Company, a real estate development, ownership, management, and brokerage company. But although it and 30 Dalton will certainly stand proud, their design was carefully tailored to work with, not against, the historic backdrop.
President and CEO of Carpenter & Company looks at this project as an opportunity that’s “rarer than once in a lifetime.” Their goal to design the finest hotel and residences ever built in Boston was met with the Four Seasons brand.
Boston has never seen anything like this. But instead of progress for the sake of it, which can sometimes shatter a neighborhood, the buildings at One and 30 Dalton respect their elders while fulfilling the needs of future generations.
Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood will never be the same, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Architects are the designers of dreams, no matter where the career leads.
PDH or continuing education credits are part of what makes an architect exceptional. Check out our courses at PDH Academy, to keep your own career moving forward.
