Development and construction firm rounding off Boston’s most sustainable block with its unique elliptical office tower
Skanska USA, a leading national development and construction firm, has completed the ‘topping-out’ of 121 Seaport, a 17-story, 400,000-square-foot, Class-A office building targeting LEED® Platinum certification. This construction milestone, achieved on Friday, March 10, 2017, marks the completion of the building’s unique elliptical steel frame, bringing Skanska one step closer to rounding off Boston’s most sustainable block. Designed by CBT Architects, 121 Seaport’s distinctive design will enhance the area’s architectural landscape, maximize the skyline visible from Seaport Square Green, and reduce solar heat gain when completed in the first quarter of 2018.
“121 Seaport’s elliptical shape is a just one example of how Skanska always aims to push the boundaries to deliver distinctive developments that benefit Boston’s public realm; and, today, we are celebrating an important architectural milestone in a neighborhood well-known for its entrepreneurial spirit,” said Charley Leatherbee, the leader of Skanska’s development operations in Boston. “From the get-go, we set out to create a building that will stand out from the rest, and 121 Seaport is as striking as it is efficient. Our tenants will enjoy an iconic, flexible environment on the city’s most sustainable block, surrounded by Boston’s most dynamic retail, residential and innovation destinations.”
121 Seaport is situated in the heart of Boston’s booming Seaport District, across from District Hall and Seaport Square Green. Its three-story lobby faces Boston Harbor and opens onto Harbor Way, an expansive 70-foot-wide pedestrian retail promenade that will be located between 101 and 121 Seaport with 20,000 square feet of tree-lined open space.
To achieve this significant milestone, a team of nearly 200 construction professionals dedicated more than 35,000 hours of work to:
- Employ a 500-ton crane to set four plate girders, each weighing roughly 120,000 pounds and measuring 76 feet long, to support the structure above the Silver Line Tunnel
- Install approximately 3,400 tons of steel
- Secure roughly 63,000 fastners in place
- Employ up-down construction, an unconventional technique that requires the project’s steel and concrete contractors to build the building’s foundation and frame simultaneously
121 Seaport features virtually column-free floor plates, creating flexible workspaces that allow tenants to customize their space for business growth, and meet the specific needs of employees wanting private or open collaborative spaces. It also includes elevated 10-foot ceilings; breathtaking waterfront views and access to Boston Harbor and the Financial District; outdoor terraces; a private, tenant-only fitness center and conference and events center; direct access to neighboring parks and amenities; a 24/7 hotel-style concierge, and two floors of prime retail.
The transit-oriented project location is adjacent to the MBTA’s Silver Line, and walking distance from South Station. It offers 270 indoor bicycle parking spaces, 275 underground parking spaces, and is a block away from I-93 and I-90 access ramps. The neighborhood has blossomed with retail options just steps away, including SoulCycle, Starbucks, By Chloe, CVS, Blue Hills Bank, Shake Shack, the ICA, Yo! Sushi, Equinox Gather, Chipotle and Ocean Prime.
Skanska has been building or restoring New England’s landmarks for over 70 years—from Gillette Stadium and the Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, to the Longfellow Bridge. Skanska continues to leverage its local knowledge and global expertise to shape the region's institutional, commercial, healthcare and life science facilities, as well as to enhance or expand essential transportation and energy infrastructure.
Since launching its commercial development business in the US in 2009, Skanska has invested nearly half a billion dollars to self-finance smart, sustainable developments in Boston. The company has two additional developments in the Seaport District comprising Boston’s most sustainable block; 101 Seaport, the North American headquarters for PwC; and Watermark Seaport, a 300,000-square-foot, LEED Gold residential building with ground-floor retail, which is more than 95 percent leased. Skanska also developed 150 Second Street, a lab and office building in Cambridge, MA, and is currently developing a luxury residential tower at 1350 Boylston Street in The Fenway, where Tatte Bakery & Café recently announced it will be opening its doors this Fall.