Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

MBTA Blue Line Aquarium Subway Station

Boston, Massachusetts

Size
71,000 sf new
25,000 sf renovated

Services
Architecture
Construction Administration

Construction Cost
$117,000,000

Completion Date
2004

The MBTA Aquarium Station provides three new entrances, two new ticketing lobbies, six new elevators, and doubles the length of the existing platform. In addition, the project encompasses a 150-foot-long segment of Boston’s new depressed Central Artery (which runs at right angles above the platform). Structure has also been provided for the possibility of a future rail link between North and South Stations, made possible by slurry walls 190 feet deep. New utilities, extensive underground waterproofing, and excavation to a depth of 55 feet are required to maintain the structural integrity of neighboring buildings in Boston’s oldest and most congested district.

For the above-ground structures, sensitivity to the existing context was the driving design factor. The underground work involved extremely restrictive tolerances for earth retention systems (the historic Granite Block buildings on State Street are only eight feet away from the excavation and were extremely sensitive to settlement), and coordination of complex subterranean conditions.

The east entrance consists of two prismatic enclosures connected by a steel colonnade that frames views of the harbor and the neighboring Marriott Hotel. The attenuated forms and generous use of glass restore the visual continuity of Long Wharf and State Street, an important historic vista. Red brick walls, similar to those on neighboring buildings, anchor the two glass entry pavilions.

The new west entrance on State Street is similarly sympathetic to its surroundings. A granite colonnade recalls the mercantile buildings along nearby Granite Row. The escalator and stairs are housed in adjoining glass and metal pavilions. A third entrance and escalator are located within a new commercial building on State Street.

Thoughtful integration of art and architecture defines the subway platforms, which showcase glazed ceramic tile by artist Jun Kaneko. Openness and transparency further contribute to an animated below-ground environment. New and existing platforms are joined seamlessly and enhanced by lighting over the track that echoes the form of the curved ceiling. Perforated aluminum panels mark the walls of the depressed Central Artery.