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Seaport World Trade Center Boston
Seaport World Trade Center Boston
Project Featured on Feb 15, 2019
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Other Projects by Schmidt Hammer Lassen
Seaport World Trade Center Boston
Project Featured on Feb 15, 2019
Type
STATUS
Concept
Bridging the past with the present
Once the largest of its kind in the world, the Boston Commonwealth Pier served as a busy trade platform and Port of Entry for immigrants into The Land of Milk and Honey.
Although, the building’s heyday is long gone, paradoxically, through many years, the derelict structure has served as a backdrop to the lively activity along the Boston waterfront. Yet, to this day, it has remained a passive observer, a shadow of its former self.
Despite its neglect, the building’s quality as a testament to the passage of time and as an impressive architectonic achievement makes it highly suitable for transformation. It is a physical structure which already exists on the citizens’ mental map of their city. A place that has the potential to bridge the past with the present and anchor the development of the premises in a historical context. Using adaptive transformation is a sustainable means to both preserve and reactivate an important piece of Bostonian and American history.
The approach of adaptive transformation assesses the building’s heritage and structural qualities and is based on the belief that the most architecturally significant statement is often made through what is left untouched or enhanced.
By 2024, the Seaport building and surrounding urban spaces will be revitalised as the Commonwealth Pier – a vibrant mixed-use destination, featuring modern flexible office spaces, exhibition and event venues, and outward-facing amenities like cafés, restaurants, and shops. The development will also include a grand public plaza, green urban space, and an enriched harbour walk experience.
To ensure that the pier can be enjoyed by generations to come, its transformation incorporates advanced design strategies for resilience and sustainability. What was until recently considered a languishing relic of the past will see itself transformed into a future resilient and adaptable destination for the citizens of Boston.
Programme: Hybrid Mixed-Use, retail, office, event space
Size: 65,500 m²
Status: Ongoing
Client: Pembroke
Commission: International invited competition, 2017
Local Architect: CBT Architects
Landscape Architect: IBI Placemaking
Engineer: Thornton Tomasetti (Structure), Arup (MEP, Sustainability)
Contractor: Turner-JANEY
Certifications: Targeting LEED Version 4 Gold Certification
Awards: Winner of the Commercial (Concept) category at the Rethinking the Future Awards 2025
Visuals: Cityscape Digital for Pembroke, Schmidt Hammer Lassen
Once the largest of its kind in the world, the Boston Commonwealth Pier served as a busy trade platform and Port of Entry for immigrants into The Land of Milk and Honey.
Although, the building’s heyday is long gone, paradoxically, through many years, the derelict structure has served as a backdrop to the lively activity along the Boston waterfront. Yet, to this day, it has remained a passive observer, a shadow of its former self.
Despite its neglect, the building’s quality as a testament to the passage of time and as an impressive architectonic achievement makes it highly suitable for transformation. It is a physical structure which already exists on the citizens’ mental map of their city. A place that has the potential to bridge the past with the present and anchor the development of the premises in a historical context. Using adaptive transformation is a sustainable means to both preserve and reactivate an important piece of Bostonian and American history.
The approach of adaptive transformation assesses the building’s heritage and structural qualities and is based on the belief that the most architecturally significant statement is often made through what is left untouched or enhanced.
By 2024, the Seaport building and surrounding urban spaces will be revitalised as the Commonwealth Pier – a vibrant mixed-use destination, featuring modern flexible office spaces, exhibition and event venues, and outward-facing amenities like cafés, restaurants, and shops. The development will also include a grand public plaza, green urban space, and an enriched harbour walk experience.
To ensure that the pier can be enjoyed by generations to come, its transformation incorporates advanced design strategies for resilience and sustainability. What was until recently considered a languishing relic of the past will see itself transformed into a future resilient and adaptable destination for the citizens of Boston.
Programme: Hybrid Mixed-Use, retail, office, event space
Size: 65,500 m²
Status: Ongoing
Client: Pembroke
Commission: International invited competition, 2017
Local Architect: CBT Architects
Landscape Architect: IBI Placemaking
Engineer: Thornton Tomasetti (Structure), Arup (MEP, Sustainability)
Contractor: Turner-JANEY
Certifications: Targeting LEED Version 4 Gold Certification
Awards: Winner of the Commercial (Concept) category at the Rethinking the Future Awards 2025
Visuals: Cityscape Digital for Pembroke, Schmidt Hammer Lassen