Designed by Pelli Clarke & Partners, the revitalised Boston South Station in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., transforms the passenger experience. Marking a new gateway for the city, the long-awaited redevelopment secures the station’s future with a reimagined concourse, an expanded bus terminal, improved connectivity, and a 51-storey office and residential tower.

Collaborative redevelopment on a civic scale

Developed by Hines in partnership with Amtrak, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) — operator of Boston’s subway network known locally as “the T” — the Boston Planning & Development Agency, and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), the project marks the first major upgrade to the 126-year-old station since the 1980s. 

The 30-year redevelopment, led by Pelli Clarke & Partners, holistically reimagines and modernises one of Boston’s most vital pieces of infrastructure. Realised through a public-private partnership, it addresses long-standing challenges such as increased ridership, overcrowding, and poor internal connectivity.

“The completion of Boston South Station marks a radical transformation of the passenger experience, ensuring longevity through enhanced transit connectivity and reimagined public spaces,” said Fred Clarke, Co-founder and Partner Emeritus, Pelli Clarke & Partners. “We sought to honor the station’s heritage while reestablishing it as a civic centerpiece through progressive design and sustainable construction. This redevelopment positions South Station as both a vital urban landmark and a symbol of Boston’s capacity to adapt, evolve, and lead.”

Reimagining a historic landmark

Originally opened in 1899 and designed by Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge, the Beaux-Arts station — with its classical decorative style — has long stood as a civic landmark. The 2025 redevelopment breathes new life into the outdoor concourse, introducing more efficient, direct connections to the integrated bus terminal. The completed spaces provide bright, safe, and expanded public areas that enhance passenger comfort and create a cohesive multimodal environment.

The existing 1980s-era main concourse remains intact, allowing investment to focus on areas of greatest need across the wider station campus. The redevelopment increases the bus terminal’s capacity by 50 percent and significantly improves circulation for all users, enabling smoother transfers between Amtrak, MBTA commuter rail, the T, and both local and intercity buses.

A civic gateway for Boston

Preserving the station’s historic architecture while preparing it for the future, the design introduces a reimagined public concourse, a 51-storey mixed-use tower, and improved links to the upgraded bus terminal. Connections to Boston’s subway and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines, including the Red and Silver Lines, ensure the hub remains fully integrated with the city’s wider network. Together, these upgrades enhance the experience for millions of travellers each year — over 128,000 weekday boardings across trains, the T, and buses — reinforcing South Station’s role as one of the busiest transport hubs in the U.S.

“The expanded concourse is designed to give Boston the arrival experience a city of its stature deserves — welcoming, expansive, and connected to both its past and future,” said Graham Banks, Partner at Pelli Clarke & Partners. “The new tower reshapes the skyline while thoughtfully complementing the surrounding urban fabric and remaining respectfully attuned to the historic headhouse it rises above.”

A new south entrance concourse, known as The Great Space, features ten soaring concrete arches supporting three dramatic domes that rise six storeys high, forming both a monumental gateway and the structural base for the new tower above. Expansive and light-filled, the concourse combines functionality with elegance. It offers a weather-protected environment for travellers, improves circulation, and transforms what was once a dark, congested area into a soaring civic space.

The tower above

Rising above the historic headhouse and concourse, the 51-storey tower emerges as a bold new landmark on Boston’s skyline. Sculpted to complement the massing and scale of the original station, its faceted glass form establishes a dialogue between heritage and innovation, embodying a contemporary vision for the city’s future.

The tower provides 680,000 square feet of premium office space, 166 Ritz-Carlton-branded residences, dining and retail venues, and elevated park amenities. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer panoramic views across the city and harbour.

At the tower’s base, a multi-level podium accessed through a dedicated entrance adjacent to the transit centre, contains shuttle lobbies, retail, and restaurants. Above, a one-acre rooftop park features landscaped terraces, gardens, and amenities for residents and office tenants.

Sustainability and performance

South Station Tower is pre-certified LEED Gold, designed to achieve the first BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating in the U.S., and recognised with a GRESB (Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark) Green Star. The project achieves 18 percent energy cost savings and prioritises transparency in material sourcing. Seventy-eight percent of demolition and construction materials were diverted from landfill, while 57 percent of new materials were responsibly sourced. Designed for long-term resilience, the tower is constructed within an existing airspace above the active train terminal — a deliberate low-carbon strategy that aligns with Boston’s broader sustainability goals. All major utilities are positioned 50 feet above ground to mitigate flood risk and rising sea levels.