• Before

    BREAKING GROUND

    The official ground breaking ceremony took place on July 12, 1961.

  • Laying the foundation

    A FOUNDATION FOR URBAN RENEWAL

    The quadrangle base surrounding "the boat" was also the foundation for Constitution Plaza - the first urban renewal project in Conn. and one of the earliest in the nation.

  • Adding windows

    UNCONVENTIONAL ARCHITECTURE

    The unique building cost no more than a conventional office building, but was 82 percent more space-efficient. The architects overlooked no detail in their design.

  • Topping out

    THE WORLD'S FIRST TWO-SIDED OFFICE BUILDING

    The 13-story tower is an elliptic lenticular cylinder with 200 windows per floor, totaling over 2 acres of glass.

  • Dedication

    READY FOR LAUNCH

    The official building opening, planned for November 24, 1963, was postponed due to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Instead, a brief dedication ceremony was held on December 2, and an official Open House on January 2, 1964.

Launching the Boat Building

The Boat Building cuts a distinctive figure in the Hartford skyline. When the architectural plans were first unveiled in February 1961, the building immediately garnered attention and excitement. Locally, the move won praise as it signaled Phoenix's commitment to downtown Hartford. Nationally and internationally, the building drew kudos for the innovative architecture. The building construction took a little over two years to complete.