125 Lincoln Street plays a pivotal role in Boston’s urban fabric given its location within the historic Leather District, directly south of Downtown, adjacent to Chinatown, and abutting the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Currently, the site is occupied with an open air garage built in the 1970’s and is the weakest edge to all of the abutting neighborhoods. The new design for a 14-story lab science building links these neighborhoods together through new plazas, redesigned and expanded pedestrian focused streetscapes, and activated community driven ground floor retail.
The design of the facade for 125 Lincoln is a modern interpretation of the historical context and materiality of the neighborhood. The lower six floors are designed to feel heavy and rooted through deep inset windows and masonry materials. At the 7th floor, which is the predominant street wall height of the neighborhood, there is a “zipper” floor that sets back and acknowledges the historic scale. The upper seven floors are designed as an imprint of the podium facade with a light and airy reading of the project’s glass panels.
Existing Site
Currently, the site is occupied by an open-air garage built in the 1970s and is the weakest edge to all of the abutting neighborhoods. Residents complain about the poor safety and sanitation currently on the site.
Concept
This very characteristic part of Boston is filled with heavy historic buildings. A big driver for the concept consists in respecting the existing architecture by having the bottom half of the building replicate what is already around it (including the building heights); and having the top half transparent and light sitting above the heaviness of the neighborhood; this way showcasing the contrast between historic & modern, and, heaviness & lightness.
Facade Concept
As mentioned earlier, the facade for this building is very important because the aim is to create contrast. To continue with this idea, we decided to let the top facade be an imprint of the bottom half as if it were the true inverse form. This being said, the bottom is heavy masonry with windows going inwards, and the top is glass with protruding windows.
Podium and Retail
We wanted the podium to feel unique as if there was an internal skin within the building and at the same time highlight the masonry “legs” that reach the ground as if they were supporting the weight of the building. The corrugated metal together with the curved glass and grand windows provide a great texture with a luxurious and modern essence to the podium.
The Plaza
This building sits at a key intersection which celebrates Chinatown with a great traditional gate. Our intention was to provide a public space that could be enjoyed by the locals and tourists. At the same time, this plaza serves as a continuation of the nearby greenway.
A Needed Transformation
While having conversations with Boston’s City Council, we had the great opportunity to hear what people in this neighborhood had to say about this project. All of them expressed the need for this to happen, they communicated their current concerns with safety, sanitation, and lack of diversity despite being within reach of Chinatown.
This project is not just a piece of architecture, but a symbol of change that assures the residents that great change is coming to their neighborhood.
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