New England’s busiest train station gets a stunning, modern upgrade

Every year, 12.5 million travelers pass through South Station, Boston’s 126-year-old transportation hub, to hop on Greyhound buses, Amtrak trains, and the commuter rail. But the station hadn’t been renovated in 30 years, and looked worn, industrial, and dated.

For decades, the city of Boston has been working on an ambitious urban infrastructure redevelopment project to reimagine the city’s downtown. It recently unveiled a stunning transformation of South Station that includes a redesigned transportation hub as well as a 51-story tower that will house luxury condos, offices, a rooftop garden, and a high-end restaurant.

For the hundreds of thousands commuters who pass through South Station every day, the most obvious change is the new vaulted concourse, called the Great Space, that will usher them to their trains. It features 10 concrete arches that reach 60 feet into the air.

The archways open to the street, bus stops, and train lines. The structure supports three enormous domes that have a ring of spotlights at the center of them to brighten the interior. While the previous concourse felt industrial and functional, with concrete ceilings and metal railings, it now feels opulent and open.

The design of the space was conceptualized by Pelli Clarke & Partners, an architectural practice based in New Haven, Connecticut founded in 1977 by Yale Professor Cesar Pelli. The firm is known for taking ambitious projects in cities around the world, including the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Tokyo’s Mori JP Tower, which is now the tallest skyscraper in Japan; and the Natural History Museum in Chengdu, China.

The project was a private-public partnership, backed by the developer Hines. Amtrak, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and Boston Planning and Development Agency were also involved in the process.

While part of the goal of the project was urban renewal, the architects were also tasked with modernizing the transportation hub to increase capacity and improve efficiency. There is now 50% more capacity in the bus terminal, and 70% increased rail capacity.

“As Boston’s population grows, so is the demand for transportation,” says Graham Banks, a partner at Pelli Clarke, who worked on this project. “But rebuilding South Station without disrupting any of the transportation service was an enormous challenge. Work took place slowly.”

Banks says work began on this project in early 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed construction, and then afterwards, workers were only able to work in the brief stretches when trains and buses weren’t running. “Workers would be sitting around waiting for Amtrak to give them the signal that they could get going,” he recalls. “Orchestrating the logistics of construction took a lot of work.”

The original South Station structure was unveiled in 1899 during the late Gilded Age, when railway tracks expanded rapidly across the country. Five different railroads served Boston, and initially, each had their own terminal. South Station, which was designed by architects Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge, was meant to consolidate these different lines. By 1913, it had become the busiest station in New England, helping to boost Boston’s status as a city.

Pelli Clarke wanted to preserve the original South Station building, while also modernizing it. They have kept the South Station’s facade, but they also built a glass tower on top of it, adding another skyscraper to Boston’s skyline. On lower levels, there is office space. Banks says that there is already interest from local firms to move in. “These offices are designed to have all the amenities and ambiance of a hotel,” says Banks. “Companies realize that they have to entice workers to come into the office.”

Starting at the 36th floor and going to the top, there are luxury Ritz-Carlton apartments, that cost between $1.3 million for a 683-square-foot one-bedroom and $14.5 million for a duplex penthouse. Residents will have access to an outdoor pool that overlooks Back Bay, as well as a 1-acre rooftop park that features gardens, a dog run, an outdoor movie theater, and a dining terrace. Residents have their own private entrances, both from the street and from a private parking garage.

The idea of introducing luxury apartments to South Station is fairly radical. For years, the station and the area around it were crime ridden. The neighboring financial district emptied out at night, as workers went home. But building high-end condos is likely to make the area livelier and spur restaurants, grocers, and shops to come back to the area. It’s a similar transformation to what has happened in New York’s financial district, which is now bursting with luxury apartments, office buildings, and glittering shopping centers. “This part of the city will now be alive 24/7,” Banks says.

South Station’s redevelopment is part of a broader revitalization of downtown Boston. Boston’s Planning and Development Agency, in partnership with WS Development, transformed the Seaport District from an industrial wasteland, covered in parking lots and vacant wharves, into one of its hottest neighborhoods. In 2014, it unveiled the new mixed-use development, which features high-end condos, buzzy restaurants, and hip retailers like Warby Parker and Mejuri. It quickly became the fastest-growing part of Boston, and is now an economic engine for the city.

There’s some concern that these luxury apartments and offices will alienate Boston’s lower and moderate income residents. And it could further exacerbate the city’s affordability crisis, much like the one New York City has experienced in recent years. But at the same time, the revitalization of this transportation hub also benefits everyday Bostonian who pass through it on their daily commutes and who rely on buses and trains to get in and out of the city.

We’ll have to wait and see how the new South Station Tower transforms the neighborhood. But in the meanwhile, hopping off a bus or train upon your arrival to Boston is already a more pleasant experience.

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