Now The Landmark | 1928 | Parker, Thomas and Rice with Henry Bailey Alden
This 24-story (plus 2 1/2
story penthouse) landmark Art Deco skyscraper with ziggurat massing is one of
Boston's absolute finest. It
features a limestone ground floor with black granite base and original bronze
storefronts; the central entryway with its massive cast stone surround and
recessed bronze doorway; and the transom grillwork with its stylized nudes and
imagery relating to the leather and shoe industry. The lobby is full of luxurious original and restored detail,
including the lighting fixtures, elevator doors, mail box, interior bronze
storefronts and interior transom grillwork.
This monumental structure is the most intact interior and exterior Art Deco skyscraper in Boston, and was the first to take full advantage of the new zoning laws for height in 1928, crowning itself with a penthouse roofed with gold-colored terra cotta tiles. The trapezium plan of the building with its three facades gives it an almost flat appearance from a distance, still distinguishing it against the skyline of newer, higher skyscrapers.
