When a major tenant departed 745 Atlantic Avenue in Boston, building owner Beacon Capital Partners resolved to raise the downtown property’s profile to attract new tenants. NELSON was hired to renovate the building’s original postmodern lobby, completed in 1988, and it partnered with New York–based experience-design firm ESI Design to create an engaging, industrial-inspired entrance.
“745 Atlantic is in a fantastic location near Boston’s South Station and the Seaport Innovation District, but it had limited visibility within the real estate community,” says Rob Albro, senior vice president of Beacon Capital Partners. “We saw an opportunity to change its image, to make it stand out, with the goal of fully leasing the building.”
To rebrand the 11-story, 175,000-square-foot Class-A asset, Beacon Capital took inspiration from the neighboring Innovation District’s popular renovated-warehouse aesthetic. The design team transformed 745 Atlantic by replacing the insular lobby’s peach-tinged granite and dark-wood panels with a clean industrial look.
“The biggest challenge,” says Brad Black, NELSON managing partner, “was connecting the building’s internally focused lobby to the street.”
In a building that had two entrances with narrow corridors, the designers created one main entrance with a curved, double-height glass facade that blurs the boundary between inside and out. NELSON redesigned the interior with materials selected to foster a vibrant industrial vibe. Gray 24-by-48-inch Italian porcelain tile flooring mimics polished concrete. Reclaimed oak planks—salvaged from the old pilings of the Tea Party Ships & Museum, which burned down in 2007—line the walls below clerestory windows.
Boston’s street grid appears throughout the two-story space, writ large in laser-cut, backlit aluminum panels and custom-printed wall surfaces. Cold-rolled steel wraps the columns and elevator doors, and arrays of monitors convey information. Suspended theatrical lighting highlights the welcome desk sheathed in red Silestone, adding a jolt of color to the rejuvenated lobby.
With the lobby repositioning complete, 745 Atlantic’s occupancy jumped to capacity with new tenants including WeWork, a law firm, and an engineering consultancy. “The new lobby really did help with the velocity of leasing,” says Albro, “and it appeals to a wide range of tenants, which is what we set out to do.”
745 Atlantic Avenue
Architect: NELSON
Experience Designer: ESI Design
Client: Beacon Capital Partners
Where: Boston
Original article by: Krista Sykes, Contract Design Network
Photos are owned by Nelson Worldwide, and depict work completed by Brad Black while at Nelson. Photo credit: Halkin Mason
