Boston, MA EQ Office, a leader in creating inspiring workplace destinations, has completed its repositioning of 179 Lincoln, a historic Beaux-Arts, class A office building originally constructed in 1899. Designed by Atelier Cho Thompson, an award-winning women-and-minority-owned firm, 179 Lincoln’s repositioning unearths the building’s rich history as a shoe factory while creating a hospitality- inspired space that meets the needs of today’s workplace. 

The 221,474 s/f brick-and-beam building is in the city’s Central Business District, across from Chinatown and close to South Station. The project transformed an underutilized lobby, a dark central core, and common areas on each of its five floors, creating functional collaboration spaces for a range of group sizes and work styles. Tenants and visitors alike can experience the beauty of historic Boston outfitted with modern amenities. 

“Our goal was to take an historic building with the character that today’s businesses are looking for and make it a destination again - where people want to be,” said Britton Derkac, national head of leasing at EQ Office. “This boutique brick and beam space in a market dominated by office towers has created a unique environment within Boston. There has been tremendously positive feedback from the community on the repositioning, and we are excited to work alongside our leasing team, Newmark, to further energize the building.” Atelier Cho Thompson, led by co-founder Ming Thompson, a winner of the 2020 AIA Young Architect Award, worked to peel back 179 Lincoln’s interior facade to expose its earliest elements, including the property’s original terra cotta floors. Providing a second life to many of 179 Lincoln’s structural and architectural features significantly reduced embodied carbon and allowed for the building to maintain its LEED Silver rating certification.