LEATHER FACTORY
Client: EQ Office
Services: Architecture, Interior Design, Signage Design
Featured in: Interior Design Magazine, Dezeen
Awards: Dezeen Awards Best Small Workplace, IIDA New England Awards Best in Show, AIA Connecticut Design Award, Architect’s Newspaper Design Award
This project to reimagine the shared spaces of the office building at 179 Lincoln Street was formed around a balance of old and new: we unearthed and amplified the building’s rich history while creating a space that is responsive to the needs of the post-pandemic workplace.
Unearthing History
179 Lincoln is a case study in the sustainable and experiential benefits of adaptive reuse. We took both a subtractive and additive approach to unearthing the building’s history. Dated renovations had left public areas of the building dark and generic. We removed those layers to reveal original terrazzo flooring, rich brick, and aged brass.
Our team studied the history of the building’s unique facade, which features distinct arched geometry and detailed ornament. With a modern sensibility, we developed a language of detail that brought the ornamental elements of the exterior into the building’s core. In that transformation, we brought a playful spirit, bringing massive forms down to human scale and creating juxtapositions of materials and patterns.
Envisioning the Future
The project creates a layered composition of narratives stretching back to 1899, connecting historic Boston manufacturing to today’s office workplaces. This project responds to the changing landscape of office life by offering opportunities that go beyond what we can experience in only working from home. With a hospitality approach, the spaces of the project offer a welcoming and inclusive place to spend time with colleagues.
The project sought out spaces at the margins of the building, from an under-utilized lobby to a dark core to empty pockets on five floors. The spaces now offer a visual and haptic environment that elevates and honors the spirit of the workplace; by connecting us back to the history of this grand building, we experience historic Boston seen through the lens of a future-focused workplace.
Photography by Jared Kuzia.
