Boston – The Chiofaro Company recently announced a $100 million transformative reinvestment in International Place, a 1.8 million sq. ft. office complex in Downtown Boston.
International Place was built in phases between 1987 and 1992, and stands at 46 stories and 35 stories in two towers. With over 90 companies calling International Place home, the team is looking toward the future to reposition the Class A office tower to help reinvigorate the downtown market and strengthen its connection to its environment.
Reception desk
The project is the culmination of more than three years of planning and will include approximately 100,000sf of renovated space focused on hospitality driven services, workplace wellness, and creating an environment built to help businesses thrive and build strong teams through meaningful connections.
The primary entrance to One International Place will be modernized with lighting and protective glass canopies meant to establish the hospitality feel from the curb. Modern retail storefronts will replace the existing exteriors of the Oliver Street retail facade, designed to create a more vibrant retail and a community corridor between Boston Harbor and Downtown Boston.
A reimagined primary entrance to Two International Place, which takes design cues from the immediately adjacent Greenway, will be constructed as a welcoming and prominent curbside beacon for the neighborhood anchor, including new lighting, seating, and improved accessibility. Within the entry, and visible through Greenway-facing windows, will be a signature dynamic chandelier. A future, approximately 8,000sf restaurant is also planned. The upgraded lobby will feature thoughtfully designed, tech-enabled seating options, enhanced security measures and thought-provoking art.
The Fort Hill Plaza entrance will be completely rebuilt as a 32-foot-tall and 80-foot-wide “window” into the complex centered on the redesigned exterior plaza. Raised planting beds and upgraded furniture will be added to Fort Hill Plaza to maximize flexibility and intimacy.
IP Commons, the central gathering space for the building and surrounding community, will be reconceived as a nature-filled oasis and will feature indoor greenery and an array of flexible seating that mirrors the nature-focused Greenway and the enhanced exterior entrances. This greenhouse inspired space with its expansive glass ceiling will surround a signature water attraction and will offer a range of illumination options for special events and activities. New granite floors will feature radiant heating, making the space more energy efficient.
A new amenity center, The Aries Club, will offer tenants an additional 16,000sf of exclusive space to work, connect, refresh, and recharge. A members’ lounge, tech enabled rooms, mothers’ rooms, flex spaces, podcast rooms, conferencing event space, wellness offerings, a bar and 3,000sf outdoor terrace featuring views and seasonal fire pits will all be run by a hospitality-driven management group.
Amenity center
Tech upgrades will include uninterrupted cellular service available from the lowest level of the garage to the top floor of the complex via an integrated antenna (DAS) system, and modernized remotely operated temperature controls (DDT system) to ensure energy efficient practices. Other conveniences will include touchless bathroom access and fixtures, destination dispatch elevators, license plate recognition software for the International Place garage and a fully integrated building app to facilitate building-wide communication, building access, work orders, visitor interaction, retail engagement and utilization of the exclusive amenities.
Wellness focused amenities include an onsite daycare center and dental group and, in addition to the nearly 900 parking spaces below grade, the complex will expand EV charging stations for cars and create 96 spaces for bikes and scooters.
—
Roof deck
“International Place has always been at the forefront of driving world class business in Boston,” said Don Chiofaro Sr., president of The Chiofaro Company. “At a time where others saw vacant lots and a crumbling commercial district, my team saw opportunity. When Philip Johnson and I originally conceptualized International Place, the city was a much different place. We are taking that same ingenuity and betting on Downtown Boston once again.”
“Work preferences continue to evolve,” said Don Chiofaro Jr., vice president of The Chiofaro Company, “but the desire and value of being in proximity to innovative thinkers and being an integral part of a team is fundamentally human. People want to feel connected, valued, and productive. Younger workers are eager to be close to social opportunities and activities they can’t get at home. For that reason, existing companies continue to want to maintain their central, urban presence, and new companies are seeking to establish a foothold amongst other high caliber, inventive businesses. The effort we are advancing now is meant to amplify the best aspects of International Place and supplement them with innovative upgrades to produce the best-in-class workplace experience.”
