At 200 Pier 4, Elkus Manfredi Architects did more than design a 13-story, 385,000-square-foot mixed-use office building with underground parking on a challenging 9.5-acre parcel; they created a striking addition to the architectural landscape in harmony with one of the most desirable stretches of waterfront in Boston’s burgeoning Seaport District.
Each façade of the certified LEED-Gold building interacts with its neighbor, be it the harbor or the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA). Most striking, the east-facing façade features three two-story bump-out “waves” that express the motion and fluidity of the harbor. This use of a non-interlocking curtainwall marks an architectural first in Boston. To achieve an oversize dimension of the glazing units (IGU) without the use of visible horizontal mullions, designers used an intermediate transom - or ‘kiss mullion’ - to allow uninterrupted sleekness to the curtainwall surface. The building’s surfaces are transformed with the changing light and shadows throughout the day, reinforcing interaction with the waterfront’s natural rhythms.
The sense of movement transitions to the north façade where additional waves face the water, tapering toward the pristine edge of a separate curtainwall. Massing on the western side is taller, more elegant with the addition of an open-air rooftop penthouse terrace and mechanical housing that imparts a sense of slim verticality where the building faces the ICA and downtown. Across the angled western façade, a trapezoidal shape folds into the building on the fourth floor above the entry to create a terrace. The exterior ceilings are cladded with mirrored-finish stainless steel panels.
All the information about how to enter the 2020 WAN Awards is here.
We are very happy to offer support so please don’t hesitate to email Georgia, WAN Awards Event Coordinator with any questions at Georgia.Baily@haymarket.com.
Last year more than 40 countries took part in the WAN Awards with strong showings from Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific. And we saw some truly outstanding projects, take a look at the winners from last year here.