The project is nestled in the center of Boston Edison’s L Street Power Generating Station built between 1898 and 1921. All the buildings were part of the L Street Station however the design team’s focus was on the Edison Turbine Halls. The Turbine Halls are one contiguous structure comprised of three additions to the original 1898 Boston Electric Light Co. Power Station. All the associated buildings have been recommended for a designation as a Boston Landmark and historic status. Upon completion of the project, the Turbine Hall and 1898 Power Station (future phase) will be the only remaining original structure.

Historic preservation was of utmost importance throughout the design process due to the abundance of unique elements in the Edison Turbine Halls, so the design teams’ approach was to stabilize the building in its existing state while simultaneously breathing new meaning into its bones. There are rose windows, catwalks, glazed terracotta tile and turbine dynamo blocks that are all being preserved and incorporated into the project’s design. The most important object is the last remaining turbine itself, steam Turbine #8, that is remaining in its original footprint to act as a museum artifact. The Edison Turbine Halls will be reborn as a cultural catalyst for the South Boston area and live on as the marvel of industry it was intended to be.