Daily life full of impressions

Built in 1899 at 179 Lincoln Street, the richly decorated brick building in Boston's central business district, across from Chinatown and just steps from South Station, is still an eye-catcher today. Only the interior design has lacked this unmistakable character. For EQ Office, the Cho Thompson studio redesigned 750 square metres of the little-used lobby and the common areas on all five floors into functional spaces for a flexible everyday office life.

Not only the name of the project - Leather Factory - is meant to recall the former use of the historic Beaux-Arts building as a shoe factory. The architects had cladding removed from the interior to reveal the building's oldest structures, such as brick walls, brass elements and the original terrazzo floor. Paintings on the light stone façade depict the shoe-making process, and materials such as plaster, marble, stone, wood and metal in natural, muted tones make the five-storey atrium lobby a light-filled, inviting space.

For the architects, the project was about balancing old and new: "We uncovered the rich history of the building, enhancing what already exists while creating a space that meets the needs of the post-pandemic workplace." As part of the design process, Atelier Cho Thompson relied on a multi-layered composition of narrative and tactile layers, taking things away where necessary and adding elements elsewhere. "Our team explored the history of the building's façade, which features distinct arch geometry and detailed ornamentation. With a modern sensibility, we developed a detailed language that brought the ornamental elements of the exterior into the core of the building." In implementation, this means a playful juxtaposition of materials and patterns that can be found in modified form in the interior design as well as in the furniture and decorative elements.