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Federal Reserve Bank Building (Boston)
Encyclopedia
The Federal Reserve Bank
Building is Boston
's third tallest building. Located at Dewey Square
, on the convergence of Fort Point
and the Financial District neighborhoods. In close proximity are the Boston Harbor
, the Fort Point Channel
and major intermodal
South Station terminal, the building is marked by a distinctive opening near ground level which allows sea breezes to pass through. The building was completed in 1977 and is 614 feet (187 m) tall with 32 floors. It was designed by Hugh Stubbins Jr.
of The Stubbins Associates, Inc. and was reportedly one of his favorite buildings. For over sixty years Reserve Banks had been fortress-like in their
design; the new Boston Bank was quite a contrast. It sometimes referred to as "the washboard" building or "Venetian Blind" building
From the Bank's website The office tower linked to a four-story wing was erected between December 1972 and November 1974. 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." The exterior is natural anodized aluminum, which acts as a curtain wall
and weatherproof facing. The aluminum spandrels shade the building interior from the sun in the summertime and allow more sunlight in the winter months.
It features an auditorium that is named for Frank E. Morris. Morris was the President and
Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston from 1968 to 1988. It was designed to meet the Bank’s needs and is also available to the community, offering lunchtime concerts as well.
Gardens are incorporated above street level.
The computer room was the first to house a Fedwire communications
switch
.
There are surveillance cameras on the Federal Reserve Bank building.
(Consul General) - 17th Floor Japan
(Consul General) - 22nd Floor
Federal Reserve Bank
The twelve Federal Reserve Banks form a major part of the Federal Reserve System, the central banking system of the United States. The twelve federal reserve banks together divide the nation into twelve Federal Reserve Districts, the twelve banking districts created by the Federal Reserve Act of...
Building is Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
's third tallest building. Located at Dewey Square
Dewey Square
Dewey Square is a square in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, USA. It lies at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue, Summer Street, Federal Street, Purchase Street and Surface Artery, with the Central Artery passing underneath in the Dewey Square Tunnel and Big Dig...
, on the convergence of Fort Point
Fort Point, Boston
Fort Point is a neighborhood or district of Boston, Massachusetts, which is named after the location of a fort which guarded the city in colonial times....
and the Financial District neighborhoods. In close proximity are the Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor is a natural harbor and estuary of Massachusetts Bay, and is located adjacent to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Port of Boston, a major shipping facility in the northeast.-History:...
, the Fort Point Channel
Fort Point Channel
Fort Point Channel is a maritime channel separating South Boston from downtown Boston, Massachusetts, feeding into Boston Harbor. The south part of it has been gradually filled in for use by the South Bay rail yard and several highways...
and major intermodal
Intermodal passenger transport
Intermodal passenger transport involves more than one mode of transport of passengers. Some modes of transportation have always been intermodal; for example, most major airports have extensive facilities for automobile parking and have good rail or bus connections to the cities nearby. Urban bus...
South Station terminal, the building is marked by a distinctive opening near ground level which allows sea breezes to pass through. The building was completed in 1977 and is 614 feet (187 m) tall with 32 floors. It was designed by Hugh Stubbins Jr.
Hugh Stubbins Jr.
Hugh Asher Stubbins Jr. was an architect who designed several high profile buildings around the world.-Biography:...
of The Stubbins Associates, Inc. and was reportedly one of his favorite buildings. For over sixty years Reserve Banks had been fortress-like in their
design; the new Boston Bank was quite a contrast. It sometimes referred to as "the washboard" building or "Venetian Blind" building
Architectural details
The main features are a two-tower with a glass front and aluminum-sheathed sides.From the Bank's website The office tower linked to a four-story wing was erected between December 1972 and November 1974. 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
Truss
In architecture and structural engineering, a truss is a structure comprising one or more triangular units constructed with straight members whose ends are connected at joints referred to as nodes. External forces and reactions to those forces are considered to act only at the nodes and result in...
marks the beginning of the tower's "office in the air." The exterior is natural anodized aluminum, which acts as a curtain wall
Curtain wall
A curtain wall is an outer covering of a building in which the outer walls are non-structural, but merely keep out the weather. As the curtain wall is non-structural it can be made of a lightweight material reducing construction costs. When glass is used as the curtain wall, a great advantage is...
and weatherproof facing. The aluminum spandrels shade the building interior from the sun in the summertime and allow more sunlight in the winter months.
It features an auditorium that is named for Frank E. Morris. Morris was the President and
Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston from 1968 to 1988. It was designed to meet the Bank’s needs and is also available to the community, offering lunchtime concerts as well.
Gardens are incorporated above street level.
The computer room was the first to house a Fedwire communications
Fedwire
Formally known as the Federal Reserve Wire Network, Fedwire is a Real Time Gross Settlement Funds Transfer system operated by the Federal Reserve Banks that enables financial institutions to electronically transfer funds between its more than 9,289 participants...
switch
Network switch
A network switch or switching hub is a computer networking device that connects network segments.The term commonly refers to a multi-port network bridge that processes and routes data at the data link layer of the OSI model...
.
There are surveillance cameras on the Federal Reserve Bank building.
Diplomatic missions
ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(Consul General) - 17th Floor Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
(Consul General) - 22nd Floor
Awards
- 2010 — United States Green Building Council (USGBC), prestigious "LEED-EB Gold designation." "LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance" is a rating system that recognizes buildings with superior operational efficiency and minimal environmental impact.
- 2009 — The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Boston, "The Office Building of the Year" (TOBY).
- 2010, 2008 — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "ENERGY STAR Award."
- 1979 — The American Institute of Architects New England Regional Council, "AIA Award for Excellence in Architecture."
Gallery