Boston has it's share of remarkable architecture. From the South Shore to even New Hampshire, Boston's skyline is a sight to be seen. But do you know everything about them? Like you can even live in some of them? (hint, hint!)
Here are the 10 tallest buildings in Boston- and what you didn't know may surprise you!
1. 200 Clarendon Street
Stats: 790 feet, 60 floors, built in 1976.
- 59th-tallest building in the U.S.
- Has been the tallest building in Boston and New England since 1976
- Commonly known as John Hancock Tower after its developer, John Hancock Financial
Did you know?:
Early on, occupants of upper floors often suffered from motion sickness. The building would sway too fast for comfort in regular wind conditions, moving a few inches forward and back and at the same time, twisting. Engineers would go on to fix the issue by installing something called a "Tuned Mass Damper," which is also used for the Citicorp Tower in New York.
2. Prudential Center
Stats: 749 Feet, 52 floors, built in 1964
- 88th-tallest building in the U.S.
- The Skywalk, the highest observation deck in New England, is located on the building's 50th
- Tallest building in the city constructed in the 1960s
- Houses shopping, dining, and residences
Did you know?
The tradition of using the window lights to support local sports teams and events began in the mid-1980s. The building's windows have been illuminated with "GO B's" to support the Boston Bruins during the Stanley Cup playoffs and "GO SOX" or a "1" during important World Series and postseason games. A normal display of 91 foot tall letters takes over 140 man-hours, covers 18 floors of the building, uses 165 additional window lights, and 260 window block out panels.
3. Millennium Tower
Stats: 685 feet, 60 floors, built in 2016
- Tallest building in the Downtown Crossing neighborhood.
- Topped out on September 17, 2015
Did you know?:
On April 26, 2014, 600 trucks poured 6,000 cubic yards of concrete into a slab for the new building, making it the largest pour in the city's history.
4. Federal Reserve Bank Building
Stats: 614 Feet, 32 floors, built in 1976
- Tallest building in Boston's Financial District
Did you know?: The building is marked by a distinctive opening near ground level which allows sea breezes to pass through. From their website: The architects designed the tower office floors that rise from a 140-foot bridge "suspended" in the air between two end cores. A 600 ton major steel structure truss marks the beginning of the tower's "office in the air."
5. One Boston Place
Stats: 601 Feet, 41 floors, built in 1970
- Also know as the Boston Company Building
- Tallest building in the Government Center neighborhood of Boston
Did you know?:
In November 2008, One Boston Place became the first building in the world to earn a Gold level of certification through the US Green Building Council's LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (LEED EB O&M) rating system.
6. One International Place
Stats: 600 Feet, 46 floors, built in 1987
- Second largest building in Boston's Financial District
- Tallest building built in Boston in the 80's
Did you know?
The building has three separate elements. These consist of the tower itself, as well as two smaller components (27- and 19-stories). It also is linked by a central dome and winter garden with Two International Place.
7. 100 Federal Street
Stats: 591 Feet, 37 floors, built in 1971
- Also known as First National Bank Building
- The design of the First National Bank Building is unusual, as it has a bulge of several stories near its base. These protruding floors are the origin of the building's nickname, the "Pregnant Building."
Did you know?:
The reason for the bulge? The architect of the skyscraper, Campbell, Aldrich & Nulty, designed the building with the bulge in order to give pedestrians a wider view of the street but at the same time provide the building with more floor space at higher levels. The skyscraper is considered to have an Art Moderne style.
8. One Financial Center
Stats: 590 feet, 46 floors, 1983
- The tower is topped off by two radio masts. Including its radio masts, One Financial Center is the 3rd-tallest building in Boston (when measuring by pinnacle height), rising 683 feet (208 meters).
- Apart from the masts and their supporting cables, the roof of the building is flat with no crown.
- An unusual 90 ft (27 m) tall glass-roofed lobby, known as the atrium, occupies the first two stories.
Did you know?:
During the Big Dig (a project to create a new underground highway under the centre of Boston), extra care was needed to avoid subsidence of the soil under the building, as construction was underway just 25 ft (7.6 m) from the building's foundation. The building was constructed on soil rather than bedrock due to the geography of the site.
9. 111 Huntington Street
Stats: 554 feet, 36 floors, built in 2002
- Second-tallest building in the Prudential Center
- Tallest building in Boston completed in the 2000s
Did you know?:
The 36-story tower's busy footprint rises and culminates in an open frame dome and crown which is illuminated at night. The building originally was designed with a flat roof, but Boston Mayor Thomas Menino disapproved, saying, "Guys, flat roofs don't make it." Architects went back to City Hall with new rooftop models. They placed each top on the model, until they reached the regal crown. When he saw it, he said "I think that would be great."
10. Two International Place
Stats: 538 Feet, 35 floors, built in 1992
- 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
Did you know?:
All the distinctive marble and granite featured in the lobby area was imported from Spain, Italy and Africa.
And did you know you can live in some of the city's tallest buildings. Watch in the coming weeks as we'll bring you a list of the places where you can live to see a view of the city from the top. Or, contact an agent now to be the first to know!
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