Federal Reserve Bank Building (Boston)

The Federal Reserve Bank Building is the sixth tallest building in Boston, Massachusetts. It is located at Dewey Square, on the convergence of Fort Point and the Financial District neighborhoods. In close proximity to the Boston Harbor, the Fort Point Channel and major intermodal South Station terminal, the building is marked by a distinctive opening near ground level which allows sea breezes to pass through.

Federal Reserve Bank Building
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeOffice building
Architectural styleModernism
Location600 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Coordinates42°21′08.55″N 71°03′14.82″W
Construction started1969
Completed1977
Height
Roof614 ft (187 m)
Technical details
Floor count32
Design and construction
Architect(s)Stubbins and Associates
DeveloperThe Federal Reserve Board
Structural engineerLeMessurier Consultants

History

Built for the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston to replace the 1922 building which now houses the Langham Hotel Boston,[1] the building was completed in 1977 and is 614 feet (187 m) tall with 32 floors. It was designed by Hugh Stubbins of The Stubbins Associates, Inc. and was reportedly one of his favorite buildings.[2] The design stood in contrast to that of the other Reserve Banks, which resembled fortresses.[3] It sometimes referred to as "the washboard" building[4] or "Venetian Blind" building[5]

Design and features

The building consists of an office tower and a four-story wing, built between December 1972 and November 1974. The office tower has a glass front and an anodized aluminum exterior, with office floors that rise from a 140-foot bridge and a 600-ton steel truss.[6][7]

It features an auditorium that is named for Frank E. Morris, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston from 1968 to 1988. It was designed to meet the Bank's needs and is also available to the community, offering lunchtime concerts as well.[3]

Gardens are incorporated above street level.[3]

List of tenants
The Federal Reserve building from street level.

Awards
  • 2010 — United States Green Building Council (USGBC), prestigious "LEED-EB Gold designation."[9] "LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance"[10] is a rating system that recognizes buildings with superior operational efficiency and minimal environmental impact.
  • 2009 — The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Boston, "The Office Building of the Year" (TOBY).[11]
  • 2010, 2008 — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "ENERGY STAR Award."[12]
  • 1979 — The American Institute of Architects New England Regional Council, "AIA Award for Excellence in Architecture."[13]
  • One of the small courtyards to the side of the building.
    One of the small courtyards to the side of the building.
  • Vertical panorama. Convexity of the shot makes building appear shorter.
    Vertical panorama. Convexity of the shot makes building appear shorter.
  • The building entrance.
    The building entrance.
  • Detail of the side, looking up.
    Detail of the side, looking up.
  • Viewed from the back.
    Viewed from the back.
  • Parking lot security measures.
    Parking lot security measures.
  • Position in the Financial District skyline.
    Position in the Financial District skyline.

In the 2006 Martin Scorsese film The Departed, in the scene where Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) gets caught on the roof by undercover cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), the building can be seen in the background.

In 2020, the building appeared in the background of a scene in the second episode of Star Trek: Picard as Picard and Laris beam into Dahj's apartment.

See also

References
  1. "History of the Boston Fed". bostonfed.org. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
  2. Hevesi, Dennis (July 11, 2006). "Hugh Stubbins Jr., 94, Creator of Emblematic Skyscrapers, Is Dead". New York Times.
  3. Dedication of the Auditorium
  4. "ArchitectureWeek - News - Hugh Stubbins, Modern Tower - 2006.0809". www.architectureweek.com. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  5. "Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism". Archived from the original on October 18, 2006. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  6. "1977 | Architecture, Real Estate: The People's Chronology". Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  7. "FRBB: A Brief History of the Boston Fed". wayback.archive-it.org. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  8. Italian Consulate-General: Boston
  9. LEED Green Building Certification System
  10. "LEED certification for neighborhood development | U.S. Green Building Council". www.usgbc.org. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  11. "2009-2010 Boma Boston Toby & Industry Awards". Archived from the original on October 30, 2010. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  12. "Label Building Registry | ENERGY STAR".
  13. "AIA New England Regional Council".
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