North Atrium at 1601 Trapelo Road

Reservoir Place, a 44.7-acre office park owned and operated by Boston Properties with two multi-tenant Class A office buildings at 1601 Trapelo Road, in Waltham, MA, posed a question to VC, “What should be done with an atrium lacking a focal point?” The three-story main building featured two full-height atriums, along with shared conference rooms, café, coffee shop, fitness center and lobby shop. The idea of placing bleachers in the main building’s north atrium was to introduce a destination for occupants at lunchtime, a venue for functions and conferences, and a means of hosting activities within the building. Because the north atrium had a large floor plate, design studies indicated that bleachers could occupy one-quarter of the floor area without inhibiting other uses of the space. The high structure was positioned against one side of the atrium, so people could pass through the space without feeling squeezed. The bleachers were faced aluminum panels and beautifully finished with hardwood and glass handrails. Workdays at Reservoir Place have been considerably livelier ever since.Read more

Location: Waltham, MA
Photo credits: VC