Prudential Tower in 1963, with construction not quite finished. "Old" John Hancock building at left. The Prudential Tower (part of the Prudential Center complex) is Boston's second-tallest building after the John Hancock Tower. Completed in 1964, the building is 750 ft (229 m) tall and has 52 floors. It dwarfed the 1947 John Hancock building, seen at the left in the photo, spurring the rival insurance company to build the 1975 John Hancock Tower which is just slightly taller at 788 ft (240 m). An observation deck, called the Prudential Skywalk, is open to the public at the 50th floor.
It was the tallest building in the United States outside New York on completion. Today, it is no longer on the list of the fifty tallest buildings in the USA. Within Boston, in addition to the nearby John Hancock tower, many other tall buildings have since been built in the Boston's financial district, including the 614 ft (187 m) Federal Reserve bank. The Pru is today just one of many tall buildings, and is now regarded with indifference. Architecture writer Donlyn Lyndon called it "an energetically ugly, square shaft that offends the Boston skyline more than any other structure."
Prudential Center
The Prudential Center is located in the Back Bay neighborhood at 800 Boylston Street and houses a successful 450,000 square foot (42,000 m²) shopping mall in the base. The site was part of the negotiations for the construction of the Massachusetts Turnpike extension in 1965, and has its own exit from the turnpike for this reason.
The new skyscraper at 111 Huntington Avenue was completed in 2002. The Hynes Convention Center is connected to the complex, which is the largest mixed-use development in New England.
See also
|
