Built on the site of what was once the largest pier building in the world, Boston’s Seaport World Trade Center will be an expansive mixed-use development on Commonwealth Pier that will include office space, retail, dining, public amenities, and event space.
Commonwealth Pier currently houses corporate offices, shops, and restaurants. The revitalization will improve public access throughout the site, expand the retail offerings, and enhance site resiliency and sustainability.
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The new office space will connect workers directly to over 160,000 sf of outdoor public space that includes courtyards, walkways, green rest spaces, and a grand plaza. A new 24,500-sf public waterfront plaza is envisioned as the pier’s central gathering point.
Harborwalk, a paved pedestrian path, will run along the perimeter of the entire project. The path will be lined with custom seating, planters, and lighting. The walkway will occasionally expand at niches cut into the building’s facades where public seating, sheltered areas, signage, and connectivity to retail and dining will be provided.
Many of the pier building’s historic components will be preserved, such as the stone arches and cornice of the Headhouse. Columns and column connections of the original building will also be left exposed.
The Seaport World Trade Center marks Schmidt Hammer Lassen’s second U.S. project and is slated to begin construction in early 2020. CBT Architects is the executive architect and Sasaki is the landscape architect.
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