Dive Brief:
- General Electric released plans Monday for its new Gensler-designed global headquarters campus in the Fort Point Channel neighborhood of Boston.
- Construction on the 400,000-square-foot complex will begin in late 2016, with completion expected in 2018, according to Boston.com.
- The project, estimated at approximately $100 million, includes the overhaul two historic buildings and the construction of a 12-story building.
Dive Insight:
GE announced in April the selection of architecture giant Gensler from a field of 35 other design firms as part of a 10-week, worldwide selection process based on "employee inspiration and teaming, environmental sustainability, and integration into the Boston innovation ecosystem."
When complete, the complex will house 800 GE employees. During its attempts to draw GE to Boston, the city offered the company nearly $150 million in local tax breaks and grants from the state.
Gensler has designed some of the world's most high-profile projects, including the second-tallest building in the world, the 2,073-foot-tall, 121-story Shanghai Tower, in Shanghai, China. In May, the Los Angeles City Council approved the Los Angeles Football Club's proposal for a privately funded, $250 million, 15-acre stadium complex designed by Gensler. The stadium is the most expensive "soccer-specific" project in Major League Soccer history and should be complete in time for the 2018 MLS season.
In February, Gensler released its Design Forecast 2016, which included predictions for what factors in the community, workplace and lifestyle sectors will shape cities in 2025. The six megatrends named by Gensler included: a full integration of digital into daily life; "smarter" environments; design that incorporates speed and seamless experiences; human-connected urban living; an emergence of digital/artisanal maker cultures; and a focus on health and safety.
