National Parks of Boston Gateway Center

Located at the entrance to the historic Charlestown Navy Yard on Boston Harbor, the new Gateway Center will serve as a prominent welcome center for the National Parks of Boston and will house the new USS Constitution Museum. Positioned along the Freedom Trail and overlooking downtown Boston, the building marks a key arrival point for visitors exploring the city’s rich historical fabric, including nearby landmarks such as Bunker Hill, Faneuil Hall, and the Old North Church.

Conceived as a vital hub for orientation and engagement, the Gateway Center will present a dynamic visitor experience at the intersection of land and water. The building replaces the historic Hoosac Stores warehouse currently on site, and in keeping with a sustainable and interpretive approach, will incorporate materials salvaged from the structure’s disassembly.

At the heart of the design is the building’s entrance, envisioned as a “portal” that frames views of Boston Harbor and the USS Constitution. This spatial gesture creates an intentional link between the landside experience of the Freedom Trail and the maritime heritage represented by “Old Ironsides.” As the security gateway for boarding the USS Constitution, the building guides visitors through a curated orientation exhibition before they cross the plaza and embark onto the ship.

The program supports a wide range of public uses, including an NPB welcome center, museum galleries for the USS Constitution Museum, exhibition, an interactive theater, retail, exterior viewing decks, and accessible landscaped areas. The project was shaped through a collaborative process involving the National Parks of Boston, leadership from the USS Constitution Museum, the US Navy, city officials, and members of the local community.

The Gateway Center reimagines a prominent edge of the Navy Yard as a place of discovery, education, and civic connection, welcoming millions of annual visitors to Boston’s historic waterfront.

As part of our work at this historic site in Boston, we are applying circular design principles by repurposing materials from the deconstructed Hoosac Stores building for the new Gateway Center and the adaptive reuse of Building 107, the future home of the National Parks of Boston Headquarters. Salvaged timbers will be milled into flooring, wall panels, and finishes across both projects, while crushed brick will be used as aggregate in the Gateway Center’s façade panels. Reclaimed wood will also support the restoration of the USS Constitution, with surplus material directed to other National Park Service projects. The remaining materials will be sold for reuse elsewhere, modeling a sustainable approach when full preservation isn’t possible. This effort reflects a broader shift toward environmentally responsible, large-scale public projects and redefines how we build for the future.