Prudential Tower

Coordinates: 42°20′49.78″N 71°04′57.08″W / 42.3471611°N 71.0825222°W / 42.3471611; -71.0825222
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Prudential Tower
Vertical panoramic view of the Prudential Tower
Map
General information
TypeOffice, Observation, Restaurant
Location800 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Coordinates42°20′49.78″N 71°04′57.08″W / 42.3471611°N 71.0825222°W / 42.3471611; -71.0825222
Construction started1960
Completed1964
Height
Antenna spire907 feet (276 m)
Roof749 feet (228 m)
Technical details
Floor count52
Floor area1.2 million square feet (111,484 m²)
Design and construction
ArchitectThe Luckman Partnership
DeveloperBoston Properties

The Prudential Tower, also called the Prudential Building or The Pru,[1][2] is a skyscraper in Boston, Massachusetts. The building is the 2nd-tallest building in Boston. It was designed by Charles Luckman and Associates for Prudential Insurance and was completed in 1964. It is 749 feet (228 m) tall and has 52 floors. With its radio mast, the tower is 907 feet (276 m) and is the tallest building in Boston. It has an observation deck, called the "Prudential Skywalk", on its 50th floor. It is currently the highest observation deck in New England that is open to the public. The building also has a restaurant on the 52nd floor, called "Top of the Hub."

History[change | change source]

Construction on the Prudential Tower began in 1960. When it was completed in 1964, it was the tallest building in the world outside of New York City.

Since the Prudential Tower was built, other tall buildings have been built in Boston. Today, it is not one of the fifty tallest buildings in the USA.


Ownership[change | change source]

The Prudential Tower behind 111 Huntington Avenue, as seen from the South End

Boston Properties currently owns the Prudential Tower.

Broadcast tenants[change | change source]

The main rooftop mast has two FM master antennas, and a television antenna. The roof also has a smaller tower with standby antennas. These antennas broadcast several Boston radio stations.

List of tenants[change | change source]

References[change | change source]

  1. e.g. Burge, Kathleen (2006), "Made You Look! Yeah, There's the Top of the Pru, But There Are Other Amazing Views—If You Know Where to Find Them. The Boston Globe, July 16, 2006, p. C1
  2. Feeney, Mark (1998), "The Homely Landmark's a Skyscraper We Can't Stop Looking Down On, But in '65, It Gave The City a Big Boost" The Boston Globe,, February 3, 1998, page C1: "'The Pru' everyone calls it: a resigned shrug of a name, as flat and uninflected as the wan moue its pronunciation requires."
  3. "Accenture Office Directory". Archived from the original on 2014-10-20. Retrieved 2012-12-21.

Other websites[change | change source]

Preceded by
Custom House Tower
Tallest Building in Boston
1964–1976
228 m
Succeeded by
John Hancock Tower
Preceded by
Terminal Tower
Tallest building in the United States outside of New York City
1964–1969
228 m
Succeeded by
John Hancock Center