Schrafft Center’s New Look Will Pay Tribute to Chocolate
Renovations to the iconic Schrafft Center in Charlestown will be complete in 2015.
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The iconic Schrafft Center in Charlestown is getting a sweet makeover in 2015.
The former chocolate factory is owned by the Flatley Company and is currently used as an office, medical, and technology building. Starting next year, it will undergo a transformation under the direction of Boston-based architecture firm CBT Architects.
The design is aimed at improving the tenant experience, according to managing principal Haril Pandya, who has gazed at the building since he was a kid.
“Growing up, this was a building I passed all the time,’’ said Pandya. “It’s such an icon. Working on it is amazing.’’
Pandya says his firm’s design will pay homage to the Schrafft’s Center’s roots as a sweets factory in the building lobby. Once renovations are completed, the lobby will include a café and a three-story atrium with a gas fireplace.
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“We wanted to call it confectionary contemporary,’’ said Pandya. “We want to modernize the space by paying tribute to chocolate. We used a glossy counter to remind people of hard candy and dark matte finish to remind people of dark chocolate. Pops of color to remind people of sugar cane.’’
Pandya says the design is intended to be pedestrian-friendly and utilize the building’s position along the nearby Mystic River.
“Schrafft is going to be a great civic neighbor for Sullivan Square,’’ said Pandya. “We want the Schrafft’s brand to evolve and feel a little more current.’’
Once construction wraps up, there will be plenty of space for new occupants. The building’s main tenant, Partners HealthCare, is vacating 266,000 square feet in the Schrafft Center to move into a new complex in Somerville’s Assembly Row.
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