111 Huntington Avenue Building

The 111 Huntington Avenue Building is a Contemporary skyscraper designed by CBT Architects, and built between 1999 and 2002 in Boston, MA.

111 Huntington Avenue Building is not the only name you might know this building by though. The building is, or has also been known as the R2-D2 Building.

Its precise street address is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA. You can also find it on the map here.

The 111 Huntington Avenue Building has received multiple architecture awards for its architectural design since 2002. The following is a list of such prizes and awards:

• Emporis Skyscraper Award in 2002
• Global Award for Excellence, Urban Land Institute in 2006

The building is part of the Prudential Center Complex, which also includes the Prudential Tower.

At street level, the building is integrated with a five-story podium that connects to the Prudential Center and serves as a transition between the tower and the street..

CBT Architects was the architecture firm in charge of the architectural design.

That being said, architecture is a complex discipline involving many professionals from different fields, without whom this building would have not been possible. We will surely be leaving out a lot of names here, but here is a list of the people we do know also played their part in making the 111 Huntington Avenue Building a reality:

• McNamara . Salvia in charge of Structural Engineering
• John Moriaty & Associates as the Main Contractor
• Otis Elevator Company as the company in charge of the elevators system
• BALA Engineers in charge of MEP Engineering

The 111 Huntington Avenue Building can be categorized as a Contemporary building.

That being said, and even thought being a contemporary building, probably taking advantage of modern materials, construction techniques, and technology, the design of the 111 Huntington Avenue Building is inspired by the postmodernism style.

The 111 Huntington Avenue Building uses a frame structure made of steel columns and slabs.

A frame structure uses a combination of beams and columns to sustain the building's weight. The walls in this case are non-load bearing, which allows for more flexibility when distributing the interior spaces.

The facade uses a non-load bearing curtain wall system. This means the curtain wall modules are anchored to the building's structural frame, typically by being attached to the edge of the floor slabs. The curtain wall system connects to the slabs using brackets, anchors, and mullions, which transfer the loads imposed by wind and temperature changes, to the building's primary structural elements.

This setup allows the curtain wall to accommodate differential movement between the facade and the structural frame, such as thermal expansion, floor deflection, or sway from wind forces. This system's integration with the slab edges also allows for continuous insulation and weatherproofing layers.

La estructura cuenta con 20 esquinas que permiten un gran número de oficinas perimetrales y está coronada por una estructura metálica abierta.

From an aesthetic point of view, the facade features large blue glazed glass panels framed by slender metal mullions. This design not only enhances the building’s verticality and transparency but also contributes to its distinctive presence within the Boston skyline.

At the top, the building is culminated by an open metalic, semi-spheric open structure that acts as the crown of the design.