John F. Kennedy Federal Building
Encyclopedia
John Fitzgerald Kennedy Federal Building is a United States Federal government office building located in the Government Center area of Boston, Massachusetts. It is adjacent to City Hall Plaza
and is located diagonally across from Boston City Hall
. The firm of Walter Gropius
designed the building, constructed 1963-1966. An example of 1960s modern architecture, it is a complex that consists of two 26 floor towers that sit on-axis to each other and a low rise building of four floors that connects to the two towers via an enclosed glass corridor. The two towers stand at a height of 117.96 meters or 387 feet (118 m).
(1883–1969) and his firm The Architects Collaborative (TAC) to design a Modern federal building in Boston in 1961. Gropius designed the complex with the assistance of Boston architect Samuel Glaser, and construction began two years later. The site cost $1.2 million and construction cost $24 million. A staffed health unit, administrative supply store, credit union, and duplicating plant were present when the complex opened. All offices in the building were located no more than 150 feet (45.7 m) away from stairways and restrooms.
After President John F. Kennedy
was assassinated in 1963, officials decided to name the complex after him, as an appropriate gesture to honor him in his home city. The president's mother, Rose Kennedy, and his brothers, Senators Edward
and Robert Kennedy, attended the building's dedication on September 9, 1966. At the ceremony, Cardinal Cushing stated that "in this steel and stone we make [President Kennedy's] monument."
As of 2010, the Kennedy building houses offices for the following:
Technically one building, it consists of twin 26-story high-rise towers, which sit on axis to each other, and a low, 4-story building. This combination of tall towers paired with low buildings is a common Modern form that is used extensively throughout the United States and abroad. The double towers increase the number of offices lit by natural light and decrease the visual bulk that a single monolithic building would create. The building contains 839000 square feet (77,945.7 m²).
The exterior of the towers is constructed of pre-cast reinforced concrete. The lower sections are faced with polished granite
. All aluminum work has a dark anodized finish in a medium gray tone, which the architects designed to contrast with the white concrete facade. Overall, the exterior lacks ornamentation, instead displaying a stark functionality. Bands of windows wrap around the towers; corner windows have rounded edges. The bases of the towers have arcades with entrances set back beneath a covered area supported by piers. The tops of the towers are distinguished by metal louvers. An exposed glass atrium
connects the two towers at the ground level.
A glass-enclosed walkway connects the four-story building to the towers. Like the towers, the low building's facade is made of concrete and glass. Vertical slabs form piers that interrupt the horizontality of the building and create the off-center entrance, which is articulated by a cantilevered porch. A protruding second story creates a covered pathway to shelter visitors.
The building occupies only 45 percent of the 4.6 acres (18,615.6 m²) site. The remaining portion contains terraces, plazas, extensive landscaping, a sunken patio, and driveways. Plazas are surfaced with stone in most sections. Paved walkways are interspersed throughout. A tiered stair platform of cement and brick leads to the low building. Unusual concrete structures shaped like concave cylinders provide bench seating throughout the plaza. Trees and shrubbery are located around the four-story building.
The two-story main lobby was modernized in 1994 and features polished granite-clad walls to complement the original granite columns; the original bluestone flooring was replaced with flame-finished granite pavers. The original ceramic tile ceiling, which began failing some time after construction, was replaced with a sheet rock and plaster ceiling during the renovation.
In 1963, Gropius and Glaser saw sculpture by artist Dmitri Hadzi, who worked in Modern abstract forms, and decided Hadzi's style would be appropriate for the federal building. They commissioned Hadzi to produce a beautiful complex bronze sculpture called Thermopylae, which is located in front of one of the towers. The heroic abstract sculpture was created in 1966 and inspired by President Kennedy's book, Profiles in Courage
, and his exemplary war record. Two other artists created tributes to John F. Kennedy. Herbert Ferber
designed an abstract sculpture of welded copper and stainless steel titled Full Circle: Profile in Courage, which is in the interior light court. New England Elegy, a controversial mural by Robert Motherwell
, occupies the area between the towers and the low-rise building. Revolving exhibits in the building often focus on aspects of Kennedy's life and presidency.
City Hall Plaza (Boston)
City Hall Plaza in Boston, Massachusetts, is a large, open, unadorned public space in the Government Center area of the city. The architectural firm Kallmann McKinnell & Knowles designed the plaza in 1962 to accompany Boston's new City Hall. The multi-level, irregularly-shaped plaza consists of red...
and is located diagonally across from Boston City Hall
Boston City Hall
Boston City Hall is the seat of the municipal government of Boston, Massachusetts. Architecturally, it is an example of the brutalist style. It was designed by Kallmann McKinnell & Knowles...
. The firm of Walter Gropius
Walter Gropius
Walter Adolph Georg Gropius was a German architect and founder of the Bauhaus School who, along with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, is widely regarded as one of the pioneering masters of modern architecture....
designed the building, constructed 1963-1966. An example of 1960s modern architecture, it is a complex that consists of two 26 floor towers that sit on-axis to each other and a low rise building of four floors that connects to the two towers via an enclosed glass corridor. The two towers stand at a height of 117.96 meters or 387 feet (118 m).
Building history
The John F. Kennedy Federal Building is one of the federal government's most noteworthy Modern designs. The U.S. General Services Administration retained master architect Walter GropiusWalter Gropius
Walter Adolph Georg Gropius was a German architect and founder of the Bauhaus School who, along with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, is widely regarded as one of the pioneering masters of modern architecture....
(1883–1969) and his firm The Architects Collaborative (TAC) to design a Modern federal building in Boston in 1961. Gropius designed the complex with the assistance of Boston architect Samuel Glaser, and construction began two years later. The site cost $1.2 million and construction cost $24 million. A staffed health unit, administrative supply store, credit union, and duplicating plant were present when the complex opened. All offices in the building were located no more than 150 feet (45.7 m) away from stairways and restrooms.
After President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
was assassinated in 1963, officials decided to name the complex after him, as an appropriate gesture to honor him in his home city. The president's mother, Rose Kennedy, and his brothers, Senators Edward
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
and Robert Kennedy, attended the building's dedication on September 9, 1966. At the ceremony, Cardinal Cushing stated that "in this steel and stone we make [President Kennedy's] monument."
As of 2010, the Kennedy building houses offices for the following:
- Scott BrownScott BrownScott Brown is a United States senator.Scott Brown may also refer to:-Sportsmen:*Scott Brown , American college football coach of Kentucky State...
, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
- U.S. Department of Labor
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- U.S. Immigration Court
- U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Taxpayer Service Division
- U.S. Social Security Administration
Architecture
The building is bounded by Cambridge, New Sudbury, and New Congress streets. The construction of the federal building contributed to the improvement of this part of the city.Technically one building, it consists of twin 26-story high-rise towers, which sit on axis to each other, and a low, 4-story building. This combination of tall towers paired with low buildings is a common Modern form that is used extensively throughout the United States and abroad. The double towers increase the number of offices lit by natural light and decrease the visual bulk that a single monolithic building would create. The building contains 839000 square feet (77,945.7 m²).
The exterior of the towers is constructed of pre-cast reinforced concrete. The lower sections are faced with polished granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
. All aluminum work has a dark anodized finish in a medium gray tone, which the architects designed to contrast with the white concrete facade. Overall, the exterior lacks ornamentation, instead displaying a stark functionality. Bands of windows wrap around the towers; corner windows have rounded edges. The bases of the towers have arcades with entrances set back beneath a covered area supported by piers. The tops of the towers are distinguished by metal louvers. An exposed glass atrium
Atrium (architecture)
In modern architecture, an atrium is a large open space, often several stories high and having a glazed roof and/or large windows, often situated within a larger multistory building and often located immediately beyond the main entrance doors...
connects the two towers at the ground level.
A glass-enclosed walkway connects the four-story building to the towers. Like the towers, the low building's facade is made of concrete and glass. Vertical slabs form piers that interrupt the horizontality of the building and create the off-center entrance, which is articulated by a cantilevered porch. A protruding second story creates a covered pathway to shelter visitors.
The building occupies only 45 percent of the 4.6 acres (18,615.6 m²) site. The remaining portion contains terraces, plazas, extensive landscaping, a sunken patio, and driveways. Plazas are surfaced with stone in most sections. Paved walkways are interspersed throughout. A tiered stair platform of cement and brick leads to the low building. Unusual concrete structures shaped like concave cylinders provide bench seating throughout the plaza. Trees and shrubbery are located around the four-story building.
The two-story main lobby was modernized in 1994 and features polished granite-clad walls to complement the original granite columns; the original bluestone flooring was replaced with flame-finished granite pavers. The original ceramic tile ceiling, which began failing some time after construction, was replaced with a sheet rock and plaster ceiling during the renovation.
In 1963, Gropius and Glaser saw sculpture by artist Dmitri Hadzi, who worked in Modern abstract forms, and decided Hadzi's style would be appropriate for the federal building. They commissioned Hadzi to produce a beautiful complex bronze sculpture called Thermopylae, which is located in front of one of the towers. The heroic abstract sculpture was created in 1966 and inspired by President Kennedy's book, Profiles in Courage
Profiles in Courage
Profiles in Courage is a 1955 Pulitzer Prize-winning biography describing acts of bravery and integrity by eight United States Senators throughout the Senate's history. The book profiles senators who crossed party lines and/or defied the public opinion of their constituents to do what they felt was...
, and his exemplary war record. Two other artists created tributes to John F. Kennedy. Herbert Ferber
Herbert Ferber
Herbert Ferber was an American sculptor and painter, born in New York City. He began his independent artistic studies in New York in 1926 at evening classes at the Beaux-Arts Institute of Design, while attending Columbia University Dental School...
designed an abstract sculpture of welded copper and stainless steel titled Full Circle: Profile in Courage, which is in the interior light court. New England Elegy, a controversial mural by Robert Motherwell
Robert Motherwell
Robert Motherwell American painter, printmaker and editor. He was one of the youngest of the New York School , which also included Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, and Philip Guston....
, occupies the area between the towers and the low-rise building. Revolving exhibits in the building often focus on aspects of Kennedy's life and presidency.
Significant events
- 1937: Walter Gropius immigrates to the United States and espouses Modern architecture
- 1945: Gropius founds The Architects Collaborative
- 1961: Gropius, TAC, and Glaser retained to design federal building in Boston
- 1963: Construction begins; building is named to honor President Kennedy after he is assassinated
- 1966: Construction completed and building occupied
Building facts
- Location: 15 Sudbury Street
- Architects: Walter Gropius and The Architects Collaborative with Samuel Glaser
- Construction Dates: 1963-1966
- Architectural Style: Sixties Modern
- Primary Materials: Steel, Reinforced Concrete, and Glass
- Prominent Features: Monolithic towers; Landscaped Plaza; Public Art