Federal Street

For this commercial office in a concrete-frame structure built in 1923, we designed an inviting entry that reinvigorates the building’s relationship to the street. To draw people in, we created a canopy that projects from the face of the front elevation. White steel panels on its underside extend deep into the lobby space, creating a dramatic entrance sequence and a continuity between inside and outside. The existing lobby lacked character, and its lighting and finishes were low-quality, so we replaced these elements with eucalyptus veneer wall panels that provide visual warmth and complement the dark gray exterior. Outside, a board-formed concrete planter defines the edge between the entrance ramp and the stair treads, and a steel channel that lines the perimeter of the canopy recalls the building’s industrial past.