BOSTON– The Davis Companies, a Boston-based real estate investment, development and management company, last week unveiled the redesign of 88 Black Falcon Pier, along with the launch of an on-site interior and exterior art program celebrating the industrial and maritime roots of both the building and the Seaport District called, “The Art of Making It.”
This program features 38 original, detailed photographs by renowned Massachusetts photographer, Alison Shaw, highlighting the fine art and craftsmanship of boatbuilding from local wooden boat shops across the state of Massachusetts. Shaw’s over-scaled, back-lit graphics on the building’s exterior can be seen from across Boston Harbor and thirty colorful images are arrayed throughout the interior of Black Falcon Pier.
The Davis Companies worked closely with Boston-based Dyer Brown Architects to rebrand and significantly makeover this 376,000-square-foot, three-story office and industrial complex which is located on the easternmost tip of the Seaport neighborhood, offering ocean frontage and dramatic water views from three sides of the building.
“With this bold, modern redesign and expansive new amenity spaces, we have converted the property into an appealing location for a diverse tenant base, including marine, industrial, high-tech, R&D and innovation firms seeking a one-of-a-kind urban waterfront environment,” stated Duncan Gilkey, Senior Vice President of Leasing and Asset Management at The Davis Companies. “The Dyer Brown team did an outstanding job in bringing our vision to life by transforming the 1920s-era industrial structure into an ideal destination for maker companies, such as the leading self-driving vehicle company, Optimus Ride, and image-oriented businesses like our newest tenant, the event planning firm, Conventures, that were attracted to the 14 to 20-foot ceilings, floor to ceiling windows, loft-like interiors and sweeping water views,” added Mr. Gilkey.
Building on the industrial history of the property, the entrance to the site is now marked by the “88” brand in dark, bronze metallic signage and by a series of striking oversized, backlit panels featuring the boat building images photographed by Alison Shaw. The multiple building lobbies now feature bronze metal and wood plank-lined walls with oversized graphics and bold colors that lead to a state-of-the art fitness center, newly envisioned café with new floor-to-ceiling windows, new solarium seating area with water views and industrial-chic light pendants and sconces. The design is enhanced by new custom furnishings made of natural wood and industrial pipe fittings. Additional interior improvements include bright, art-filled corridors, a colorful, convenient bike storage room, renovated restrooms with wall-size historic photos of dockworkers and new laser-cut signage and applied graphics throughout the common spaces.
“As designers, we align our vision with the contextual elements of every property we’re creating,” says Karen Bala, AIA, LEED AP, senior architect with Dyer Brown. “We wanted to radically differentiate the personality of Black Falcon Pier from the neighboring Innovation & Design Building by creating a moodier, richer feel with darker finishes.”
“The newly reinvented spaces have created the impactful and contemporary ambiance that companies want in today’s marketplace,” says Dyer Brown’s Deniz Ferendeci. “We’ve also transformed the corridors to be more appealing, with interesting elevator lobbies, branded tenant signage, and a rhythmic application of new lighting and memorable graphics.”
