List of tallest buildings in Boston

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Skyline of a city on a river. Two buildings are much taller and more prominent than the rest; one of the large buildings is a skyscraper with a blue-tinted, all-glass facade, and the second is a large rectangular tower with a steel latticework facade and a tall antenna mast on its roof.
Skyline of Boston's Back Bay
Skyline of a waterfront city. Several skyscrapers are visible in the distance, the tallest being a building with rounded edges and a red facade at the center of the image. To the extreme right is a white clock tower that appears shorter than most of the other tall buildings; two concrete, Brutalist-era apartment buildings are adjacent to the clock tower.
Skyline of Boston's Financial District

Boston, the capital of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the largest city in New England, is home to 251 completed high-rises,[1] 27 of which stand taller than 400 feet (122 m). The majority of the city's skyscrapers and high-rises are clustered in the Financial District and Back Bay neighborhoods. The tallest structure in Boston is the 60-story 200 Clarendon, better known to locals as the John Hancock Tower, which rises 790 feet (241 m) in the Back Bay district.[2] It is also the tallest building in New England and the 50th-tallest building in the United States. The second-tallest building in Boston is the Prudential Tower, which rises 52 floors and 749 feet (228 m).[3] At the time of the Prudential Tower's completion in 1964, it stood as the tallest building in North America outside of New York City.[4]

Boston's history of skyscrapers began with the completion in 1893 of the 13-story Ames Building, which is considered the city's first high-rise.[5] Boston went through a major building boom in the 1960s and 1970s, resulting in the construction of over 20 skyscrapers, including 200 Claredon and the Prudential Tower. The city is the site of 18 skyscrapers that rise at least 492 feet (150 m) in height, more than any other city in New England. As of 2013, the skyline of Boston is ranked 11th in the United States and 40th in the world with 46 buildings rising at least 330 feet (100 m) in height.[6]

As of February 2013, Boston has two major proposals to construct skyscrapers that would rank among the tallest in the city if completed. The largest proposal is the South Bay Tower, which, at 800 feet (244 m), would surpass 200 Claredon to become the tallest building in the city.[7] The second major proposal for the city is the South Station Tower, which would become the city's fourth tallest building, assuming that the South Bay Tower is constructed.[8] Overall, there were 64 high-rise buildings under construction or proposed for construction in Boston.[1]

Tallest buildings

Boston skyline from the north side of the Charles River

This list ranks Boston skyscrapers that stand at least 400 feet (122 m) tall, based on standard height measurement. This includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts. An equals sign (=) following a rank indicates the same height between two or more buildings. The "Year" column indicates the year when a building was completed.

Rank Name Image Height
ft (m)
Floors Year Coordinates Notes
01.01 200 Clarendon Ground-level view of a 60-story skyscraper; the clouds in the sky are reflected off the building's tinted, all-glass facade. On the ground to the left of the building is a Romanesque church, surrounded by a grassy public square. Two shorter skyscrapers are visible in the distance. 01.0790 (241) 60 1976 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
02.02 Prudential Tower Distant aerial view of two skyscrapers in early evening; the tallest is a large, gray rectangular tower with a steel latticework facade and a tall antenna mast on its roof. The shorter skyscraper, directly in front of the other building, has a tinted, all-glass facade with a prominent, open-air dome. Several high-rises surround the two skyscrapers on all sides. 02.0749 (228) 52 1964 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
02.03 Millennium Tower The Millennium Tower under construction in September 2015 03.0685 (209) 60 2016 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  • Topped out on September 17, 2015[13]
03.04 Federal Reserve Bank Building Aerial view of a tall, narrow, concrete skyscraper; the building's design somewhat resembles that of a washboard, with uninterrupted horizontal rows of windows protruding slightly outward from two of the building's four sides 03.0614 (187) 32 1976 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
04.05 One Boston Place Ground-level view of a 40-story skyscraper with a black, X-braced facade; the building has a major setback near the 35th-floor 04.0601 (183) 41 1970 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
05.06 One International Place Aerial view of two skyscrapers; both have circular footprints and light red facades. The shorter of the two buildings, in the foreground, is topped by a pyramid-like cap, while the taller building has a flat roof. 05.0600 (183) 46 1987 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  • Tallest building in Boston constructed in the 1980s[20][21][22]
06.07 100 Federal Street Ground-level view of the First National Bank Building 06.0591 (180) 37 1971 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
07.08 One Financial Center Ground-level view of a 45-story building with a trapezoidal footprint, a white facade and black windows 07.0590 (180) 46 1983 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. [26][27][28]
08.09 111 Huntington Avenue Angled aerial view of an all-glass building capped with a white, open-air dome 08.0554 (169) 36 2002 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
09.010 Two International Place Aerial view of a round building with a light-red facade, topped with a pyramid-like cap; in the foreground is a shorter building with an all-glass facade 09.0538 (164) 35 1992 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  • Tallest building in the city completed in the 1990s[32][33][34]
10.011 One Post Office Square Ground-level view of a 40-story skyscraper with a tan facade; minor setbacks are visible around the tower's 30th floor 10.0525 (160) 40 1981 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. [35][36][37]
11.012 One Federal Street Ground-level view of a 38-story rectangular skyscraper with a tan facade and dark bluish windows 11.0520 (159) 38 1975 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
12.013 Exchange Place Ground-level view of a 40-story skyscraper with an all-glass facade and several setbacks. In the facade is a reflection of a dark brown building with lighter windows, and near the bottom of the skyscraper is a small white building with dark windows 12.0510 (156) 40 1984 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. [41][42][43]
13.014 60 State Street Aerial view of a 40-story skyscraper with a tan facade and dark windows; a major setback is visible near the building's roofline, at roughly the 35th floor 13.0509 (155) 38 1977 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. [44][45]
14.015 One Beacon Street Ground-level view of a rectangular skyscraper with a dark brown facade and prominent black windows 14.0505 (154) 37 1971 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. [46][47][48]
15.016 One Lincoln Street Fround-level view of an ornate building with alternating concrete and blue-tinted glass facades. Near the building's roofline, a sign with the words "STATE STREET" is visible. Capping the building is a crown-like structure composed of blue glass and white spires. 15.0503 (153) 36 2003 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. [49][50][51]
16.017 28 State Street Ground-level view of a 40-story building with a white, concrete facade and dark windows; near the building's roofline, a prominent setback is visible 16.0500 (152) 40 1970 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. [52][53][54]
17.018 Custom House Tower Angled, ground-level view of white limestone tower. Near the building's pyramidal-cap, a large, 4-faced clock is visible 17.0496 (151) 32 1915 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  • Tallest all-hotel building in Boston
  • Tallest building in the city constructed in the 1910s[55][56][57]
18.019 Berkeley Building Ground-level view of an Art Deco-style skyscraper with a tan facade; the building is adorned with a thick, gray spire. In the foreground, two flags are visible. 18.0495 (151) 26 1947 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  • Also known as the Old John Hancock Building
  • Tallest building in Boston constructed in the 1940s[58][59][60]
19.020= 33 Arch Street Ground-level view of a modern, 33-story skyscraper with a curved front and glass facade reflecting the blue of the sky 19.0477 (145) 33 2004 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  • Most recently completed skyscraper in the city[61][62][63]
19.020= State Street Bank Building Ground-level view of a rectangular building with a dark gray facade and clear windows 19.0477 (145) 33 1966 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
21.022 Millennium Place Tower I Ground-level view of a modern, 40-story skyscraper with a gray-tinted, all-glass facade 21.0475 (145) 38 2001 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
22.023 125 High Street Ground-level view of a complex of skyscrapers; the tallest building is on the left, with a light tan facade and a green-gray trapezoidal cap. 22.0452 (138) 30 1991 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. [70][71][72]
23.024 100 Summer Street Ground-level view of a building with an all-glass, black-tinted facade; three setbacks are visible. 23.0450 (137) 32 1974 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. [73][74][75]
24.025 Millennium Place Tower II Ground-level view of a modern skyscraper with a gray-tinted, all-glass facade 24.0446 (136) 36 2001 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. [76][77][78]
25.026 McCormack Building Ground-level view of a 20-story building with prominent black windows and a white, concrete facade 25.0401 (122) 22 1975 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. [79][80][81]
26.027= Keystone Building Ground-level view of a building with rounded corners, a grooved, white facade and dark black windows 26.0400 (122) 32 1971 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. [82][83][84]
26.027= Harbor Towers I 100px 26.0400 (122) 40 1971 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. [85][86][87]
Boston skyline from World's End in Hingham, Massachusetts

Tallest buildings by pinnacle height

This list ranks Boston skyscrapers based on their pinnacle height, which includes radio masts and antennas. As architectural features and spires can be regarded as subjective, some skyscraper enthusiasts prefer this method of measurement. Standard architectural height measurement, which excludes antennas in building height, is included for comparative purposes.

Rank Name Pinnacle height
ft (m)
Standard height
ft (m)
Reference
1 Prudential Tower 907 (276) 749 (228) [3]
2 Hancock Place 790 (241) 790 (241) [10]
3 One Financial Center 683 (208) 590 (180) [26]
4 One Beacon Street 623 (190) 505 (154) [46]
5 Federal Reserve Bank Building 614 (187) 614 (187) [15]
6 One Boston Place 601 (183) 601 (183) [17]
7 One International Place 600 (183) 600 (183) [21]
8 First National Bank Building 591 (180) 591 (180) [23]
9 111 Huntington Avenue 554 (169) 554 (169) [29]
10 Two International Place 538 (164) 538 (164) [32]

Under construction

This lists skyscrapers that are under construction in Boston and planned to be at least 400 feet (122 m) tall, but are not yet completed structures.

Name Height
ft (m)
Floors Year*
(est.)
Status References
Four Seasons Hotel & Private Residences, One Dalton Street 691 (211) 58 2017 Under construction Will be the tallest tower built in Boston since 1976 and third tallest in the city. Will also be Boston's and New England's tallest all-residential building.[88][89]
Millennium Tower 685 (209) 60 2016 Topped Out When completed, the project will feature 600 residential units plus 218,000 square feet of office space and as much as 231,000 square feet of retail. The developer will preserve the historic Burnham Building, once home to the department store Filene's.[90][91]
Copley Place Tower 596 (182) 52 2017 Under construction Project revised June 2013 and began construction July 2015.[92]
Avalon North Station 415 (127) 38 2016 Topped out [93][94][95]

Tallest approved or proposed

This lists skyscrapers that are approved or proposed in Boston and planned to be at least 400 feet (122 m) tall, but are not yet completed structures.

Name Height
ft (m)
Floors Year*
(est.)
Status Notes
South Bay Tower 800 (244) 67 Stale proposal Also known as the Gateway Center[96][97][98]
111 Federal Street 740 (226) Proposed [99]
Harbor Square Tower 1 600 (183) -- Proposed [100]
North Station/Boston Garden Development 600 (183) Approved [101][102]
Harbor Square Tower 2 550 (168) -- Proposed [100]
Congress Street Redevelopment- West Parcel Building 2 528 47 Approved [103][104][105]
Congress Street Redevelopment- West Parcel Building 1 470 (143) 42 Approved [103][104][105]
Garden Garage 465 (142) 46 Proposed [106]
40 Trinity Place 400 (122) 33 Approved [107]
Parcel 15 Tower 400 (122) -- Proposed [108]

* Table entries with dashes (—) indicate that information regarding building dates of completion has not yet been released.

On hold

This lists skyscrapers that have been approved in Boston but were put on hold and planned to be at least 400 feet (122 m) tall, but are not yet completed structures.

Name Height
ft (m)
Floors Year*
(est.)
Status Notes
South Station Tower 621 (189) 41 On Hold Construction was scheduled to begin 2007, but has not commenced; now considered a stale proposal.[8][109]

Timeline of tallest buildings

For most of Boston's earlier years, the tallest buildings in the city were churches with their steeples. The first skyscraper in the city is generally considered the Ames Building, completed in 1893.[5] However, since the 13-story building did not surpass the steeple of the Church of the Covenant,[110] it never became a city record holder. The first skyscraper to have the distinction of being Boston's tallest building was the Custom House Tower, completed in 1915.[56]

Name Image Street address Years as tallest Height
ft (m)
Floors Coordinates Reference
Old State House Ground-level view of a 3-story, colonial-era brick building with a prominent white tower on one end; several glass skyscrapers are visible in the distance. 206 Washington Street 1713–1745 08.065 (20) 3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. [111]
Old North Church 80px 193 Salem Street 1745–1810 08.0175 (53) 1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. [112]
Park Street Church Ground level view of a brick church with a prominent white steeple; a grassy park is visible in the foreground, and a rectangular skyscraper with a tan facade and black windows is in the distance 1 Park Street 1810–1867 07.0217 (66) 1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. [113]
Church of the Covenant Ground-level view of a Gothic-style cathedral with a prominent, ornate steeple on one end 67 Newbury Street 1867–1915 06.0236 (72) 1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. [110]
Custom House Tower 100px 3 McKinley Square 1915–1964 05.0496 (151) 32 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. [55]
Prudential Tower 100px 800 Boylston Street 1964–1976 04.0749 (228) 52 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. [3]
Hancock Place 100px 200 Clarendon Street 1976–present 03.0790 (241) 60 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. [10]

See also

References

General
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Further reading

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External links