Russia Wharf is a completed
high-rise building in downtown
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
,
. The building rises and contains 32 floors.
Construction began in 2006 and was finished in early 2011;
as such, the structure is one of the most recently completed high-rises in the city. Russia Wharf now stands as the
31st-tallest building in the city. The architectural firm that designed the building is
Childs Bertman Tseckares Inc. Childs may refer to:
People
*Childs (surname)
Places
*Childs Hill, an area of London, UK
*Childs, Maryland, an unincorporated location
*Childs, Minnesota, a former town
*Childs, West Virginia
Other uses
* USS ''Childs'' (DD-241)
* Childs Restau ...
, of Boston, Massachusetts. The civil engineer, also responsible for managing permitting (including Chapter 91 Licensing) was
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. or VHB is a multidisciplinary American civil engineering consulting and design firm headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts with offices throughout the country. The company was founded in 1979 by Bob Vanasse (1979-1 ...
of
Watertown Watertown may refer to:
Places in China
In China, a water town is a type of ancient scenic town known for its waterways.
Places in the United States
*Watertown, Connecticut, a New England town
**Watertown (CDP), Connecticut, the central village ...
, Massachusetts. The mixed use project includes approximately of class-A commercial office space and 65 residential units. The site consists of approximately . From about 1897 to 2007, the site contained three low-rise mercantile buildings called the Russia, Graphic Arts, and Tufts Buildings. The office tower is being constructed on the site of the Graphic Arts and Tufts Buildings. As of 2009,
Boston Properties
Boston Properties, Inc. is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that invests in premier workplaces in Boston, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. As of June 30, 2022, the company owned or had interest ...
has begun to refer to the building as Atlantic Wharf.
The project was controversial because of the historic nature of the buildings and their prominent position on the edge of
Fort Point Channel. The result was that the "Russia Building" fronting on Atlantic Avenue was retained in its entirety and the south and east facing historic brick facades of the Graphic Arts and Tufts Buildings were retained and restored. The interiors of these two buildings were destroyed and a new tower was built, rising above the old facades. The building rises 32 stories above the street and extends 6 stories below.
In the fall of 2009, the project created additional controversy when its developer,
Boston Properties
Boston Properties, Inc. is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that invests in premier workplaces in Boston, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. As of June 30, 2022, the company owned or had interest ...
, was accused by
The Boston Harbor Association The Boston Harbor Association (TBHA) was a harbor advocacy group in Boston, Massachusetts. TBHA's goal was "to promote a clean, alive, and accessible Boston Harbor" through environmental protection programs and harbor activities, as well as providin ...
of reneging on public space requirements which Boston Properties agreed to in exchange for being allowed to exceed height restrictions.
The building opened in January 2011 and boasts multiple ground floor restaurants, an art gallery, multi-media center, channel concierges and is the new home of the
Boston Society of Architects'br>
BSA Space all available to the public. This is the first LEED platinum high-rise in Boston.
See also
*
List of tallest buildings in Boston
*
Russia Wharf Buildings
The Russia Wharf Buildings are a cluster of three stylistically similar commercial buildings at 518-540 Atlantic Avenue, 270 Congress Street and 276-290 Congress Street in Boston, Massachusetts. They are built on the original site of Russia Wharf ...
References
External links
Entry on EmporisRussia Wharf Condo DevelopmentBoston Properties' entry on Atlantic Wharf Longleaf Lumber Salvages Heart Pine Beams for Russia Wharf
{{Boston skyscrapers
Skyscraper office buildings in Boston
Office buildings completed in 2011
Residential buildings completed in 2011
Residential skyscrapers in Boston
Skyscraper hotels in Boston