OMA joins group of renowned design firms assembled to transform the Seaport neighborhood
BOSTON, May 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — WS Development, a Massachusetts-based property developer dedicated to the creation of places where people want to be, announced today that it has engaged world-class architecture firm OMA to design its mixed-use retail and office project located at 88 Seaport Boulevard. The project is situated in the Boston Seaport, a dynamic and vibrant area that is quickly emerging as one of the most exciting neighborhoods and destinations in the country. The announcement marks OMA’s first commission in the city of Boston. The firm joins a group of talented architecture and design companies assembled by WS Development to elevate the quality and diversity of architecture in the Seaport, including James Corner Field Operations, Sasaki, and NADAAA.
“We are committed to bringing world-class architecture to Boston’s Seaport – architecture that will stand the test of time. Together with the brilliant team at OMA, we will create a unique urban environment that advances Boston’s innovation economy and celebrates great urban design,” said Yanni Tsipis, Senior Vice President of Seaport at WS Development.
The design for 88 Seaport will be conceived by OMA Partner Shohei Shigematsu, who has led the firm’s diverse portfolio in the Americas for over a decade. Shigematsu’s approach to 88 Seaport will be informed by his designs for a new civic center in Bogota, Colombia; a high-rise tower in Tokyo that integrates an elevated park and access to a new transit station; and a 60-acre mixed-use district in Toronto that is slated to be the largest transit-oriented development currently planned in North America. Shigematsu is also a design critic at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, where he recently conducted a research studio entitled Alimentary Design, investigating the intersection of food, architecture and urbanism.
88 Seaport will feature 18 floors with nearly 425,000 square feet of office space, approximately 60,000 square feet of retail on the first two floors, and 5,000 square feet of civic/cultural use. The building design features a unique series of cascading exterior terraces and a grand architectural gesture towards Fan Pier Green and the water’s edge.
“It’s exciting to engage with the innovation migration to the Seaport District, and work with WS Development on a building positioned to be the nexus between historic Fort Point and the emerging waterfront developments. Our design for 88 Seaport slices the building into two volumes, creating distinct responses for each urban scale of old and new, while also accommodating diverse office typologies for diverse industries with demands for traditional and alternative floorplates. The slice also generates an opportunity to draw in the district’s public domains, linking the waterfront and Fan Pier Green with a continuous landscape,” said OMA Partner Shohei Shigematsu.
88 Seaport is anticipated to start construction in 2018 and is slated to be complete in 2020. The building is part of Seaport’s master planned development, which weaves together a unique fabric of residences, offices, shops, restaurants, civic and cultural uses, hotels, and open spaces. For additional information on Boston Seaport visit www.bostonseaport.xyz, follow Boston Seaport on Facebook, and @SeaportBos on Instagram and Twitter.
About WS Development
WS Development is a Massachusetts-based property developer dedicated to the creation of places where people want to be. With more than 20 million square feet of existing space and an additional five million under development, it is one of the largest privately-owned development firms in the country. In business since 1990, WS is a vertically-integrated company that develops, owns, operates, and leases over 90 properties, including urban buildings, lifestyle centers, power centers, community centers, and mixed-use developments. Its goal is to be a contributing member of each community it serves. WS takes pride in its commitment to its roots, reflected by its properties in and around New England, but also finds great satisfaction in immersing itself in new locales and expanding its national portfolio. For more information, visit www.wsdevelopment.com, call 617.232.8900 or follow WS Development on Linkedin.
About OMA
OMA is an international partnership practicing architecture, urbanism, and cultural analysis. OMA was founded by Rem Koolhaas and maintains offices in Rotterdam, New York, Beijing, Hong Kong, Doha, Dubai and Perth. OMA New York leads the firm’s diverse portfolio in the Americas which includes the award-winning Seattle Central Library, the McCormick Tribune Campus Center at IIT and the Prada New York Epicenter. Under the direction of Partner Shohei Shigematsu, the office has completed several cultural and institutional buildings including the Faena Forum, a multipurpose venue in Miami Beach (2016); the Pierre Lassonde Pavilion, a National Museum in Quebec (2016); and Milstein Hall at Cornell University (2011). The office is currently designing an extension to the Albright Knox Gallery in Buffalo, the redesign of Sotheby’s New York Headquarters and event space for the Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles. Shohei has collaborated with multiple artists, including Cai Guo Qiang, Marina Abramović, Kanye West and Taryn Simon. Shohei also designed exhibitions for Prada, the Venice Architecture Biennale, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Park Avenue Armory. For more information, please visit www.oma.com or find us on social media – Facebook (OMAAMO), and instagram (@OMANewYork).
About Boston Seaport
Culture, industry and community converge making Boston’s Seaport district a dynamic and vibrant area that is quickly emerging as one of the most exciting neighborhoods and destinations in the country. Currently Boston’s single largest development project, the Seaport district will transform 23 acres of waterfront land with a carefully selected mix of residential, hotel, office, retail, entertainment, civic and cultural uses, and public open space. Combining the best of historic and modern day Boston, Seaport is positioned to become the destination for fashion, culture, arts, dining and entertainment, and technology and life sciences, expanding its position as one of the top cities in the world. For more information, visit www.bostonseaport.xyz.
