Two International Place is a

Postmodern Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by skepticism toward the " grand narratives" of moderni ...

skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...

in the

Financial District A financial district is usually a central area in a city where financial services firms such as banks, insurance companies and other related finance corporations have their head offices. In major cities, financial districts are often home to s ...

of Boston, Massachusetts. The site is located on a site formerly known as Fort Hill. It is located blocks from the North End, the waterfront, South Station, Downtown Crossing, and the Federal Courthouse. The building was designed by

Johnson/Burgee Architects __NOTOC__ John Burgee (born August 28, 1933) is an American architect noted for his contributions to Postmodern architecture. He was a partner of Philip Johnson from 1967 to 1991, creating together the partnership firm Johnson/Burgee Architects. ...

– whose principals are

Philip Johnson Philip Cortelyou Johnson (July 8, 1906 – January 25, 2005) was an American architect best known for his works of modern and postmodern architecture. Among his best-known designs are his modernist Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut; the pos ...

and

John Burgee __NOTOC__ John Burgee (born August 28, 1933) is an American architect noted for his contributions to Postmodern architecture. He was a partner of Philip Johnson from 1967 to 1991, creating together the partnership firm Johnson/Burgee Architects ...

– and completed in 1992. It is Boston's eleventh-tallest building, standing 538 feet (164 m) tall.Two International Place, Boston
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Design and features

Exterior

It consists of a 36-story tower and 13-story annex. It is one of the towers in a complex of five structures, anchored by two towers.
The facades are constructed of unpolished rose-granite panels with punched aluminum framed and fixed in-place window openings. Windows are a take on tripartite windows but whose

lunettes A lunette (French ''lunette'', "little moon") is a half-moon shaped architectural space, variously filled with sculpture, painted, glazed, filled with recessed masonry, or void. A lunette may also be segmental, and the arch may be an arc take ...

, or arched portions, are fake.News, Magazines, Newspapers, Journals, Reference Articles and Classic Books - Free Online Library
/ref> A portion of both towers consists of an aluminum framed curtain wall system with a combination of reflective vision glass and spandrel glass. Elaborate classical lighting fixtures are located on exterior. The building's crown consists of an octagonal-based pyramid surrounded by a ring rising out of the tower and partially up the pyramid. This crown is illuminated at night.

Interior

The Court, located at the center of the complex, features a rain fountain and provides a 25,000 square feet (2,300 m²) retail and café area with restaurants, shops and business services. This court links all the buildings in the complex. Lobby areas feature distinctive imported marble and granite from Spain, Italy and Africa. The interior minimizes columns, greatly enhancing space efficiency and providing work locations with panoramic views. There is secured underground parking with over 800 spaces. There are 38 high-speed passenger elevators and four freight elevators.

Development and maintenance

Project Team * General Contractor - Turner Construction * Architects – Philip Johnson and John Burgee * Developers – Donald Chiofaro and Theodore Oatis, partners in The Chiofaro Company * Equity partner – Prudential Real Estate Investors (PREI) * Venture Capital partner – The Hillman Company * Consulting Engineers – McNamara/Salvia, Inc. * Lighting Consultant- Claude R. Engle * Mechanized earth work and Excavation – A.A. Will Corporation, A.A. Will Corporation * Elevators – Fujitec America, Inc. (Boston) * Building Maintenance Systems – MANNTECH

References

External links