Evolution of the Prudential Center: 1954-1989

[JohnCostello]

Things were super-bonkers back in the day. Lawrence Berk, founder of what is now the Berklee College of Music empire, apparently had a rent-controlled penthouse in the Boylston (now, Ava) residential building. A rent-controlled penthouse. I don’t even know how that works!

I worked for the company that managed the Pru in the late 80's and early 90's. I would see the A/R on rents and they were at then Dorchester three decker top floor rents for some units.

 

[DZH22]

https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/the-prudential-center-during-construction-in-boston-1964-picture-id698762648

 

[DZH22]

Prudential Center, Boston, Massachusetts by Thomas Hawk, on Flickr

 

[atlantaden]

 

[atlantaden]

Credit Historic Boston

 

[squidman1]

View attachment 101huntingtonentrance.jpg

101 Huntington, 1980 (from Digital Commonwealth)

 

[DZH22]

Earlier set of plans that luckily was refined into something better. The rest of the render barely looks like Boston.

Daniel Branch

 

[cburns]

Earlier set of plans that luckily was refined into something better. The rest of the render barely looks like Boston.

View attachment 29702

Daniel Branch

looks like the "crown" got a significant revision as well between design and build.

 

[navigator4]

Prudential Center, Boston, Massachusetts by Thomas Hawk, on Flickr

Doesn't the Pike go under the Pru-not next to it?

 

[Highwayguy]

Doesn't the Pike go under the Pru-not next to it?

The pike goes under the Pru complex, but not the tower itself.

 

[stick n move]

Doesn't the Pike go under the Pru-not next to it?

Thats Huntington ave youre seeing not the pike.

 

[atlantaden]

 

[atlantaden]

Holy crap, I just noticed in the above pic that a fairly large scale model of the Prudential Tower was built and placed on the construction site. How cool was that!

 

[navigator4]

Thats Huntington ave youre seeing not the pike.

Huntington Ave has on and off ramps?

 

[squidman1]

NE Merchants Bank branch at the Pru, including the Dali painting in the background on the right

 

[cooper]

Huntington Ave has on and off ramps?

Yes, an on-ramp to Pike west and an off-ramp from Pike east

 

[squidman1]

The S. Ring Road side of the Pru in that awkward, half-assed phase (1994)

 

[chrisbrat]

Poor ol 'quest eternal' was already gone.

 

[393b40]

NE Merchants Bank branch at the Pru, including the Dali painting in the background on the right

This picture has me craving a thread for historic interiors.

 

[DZH22]

Here's an epic found photo from Historic Boston on facebook:

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