The Macallen Building is one of the most recent additions of contemporary architecture in the city of Boston. Designed by the Boston-based architecture firm Office dA, the design negotiates several different sites including highway ramps, existing residential fabric, and an industrial zone.

160over90, a Philadelphia-based branding agency, was commissioned to market the condominium building to prospective buyers. Their brand concept was to convey, “how great architecture reveals itself over time, taking a massive, technical project and turning it into an intimate experience for consumers.”

The building is a bit of a beast, yet the branding is colorful and friendly. In general, I think buyers are attracted to the building because it’s different, like nothing they’ve seen in Boston. While I admire 160over90’s work, the marketing graphics could be a bit more edgy, either picking up on the slope of the building, or the basket weave of the exterior wall, or the lines of the highway/industrial side of the building. It lacks continuity between building design and marketing communication. But, the owner sold 50% of the units before completion of construction, so it seems the marketing effort was partially successful.