B and B Chemical Company building, gebouw in Massachusetts, Verenigde Staten van Amerika
The B and B Chemical Company building is a factory in Streamline Moderne style in Cambridge, Massachusetts, built in 1937. It features a symmetrical layout with a central section, side wings, continuous bands of windows, rounded corners, and beige brick exterior with a smooth finish.
The building was designed in 1937 by Shepley Bulfinch as a factory and office for the B and B Chemical Company, which produced adhesives. From 1979 to 1996 it served as headquarters for Polaroid Corporation before later being used by Harvard University for IT services, now protected as a National Register of Historic Places listing.
The building is named after the B and B Chemical Company, the original tenant that produced adhesives for shoe and other industries. Its Streamline Moderne design with smooth lines and rounded corners reflects how factory buildings of the 1930s were meant to look fast and efficient, representing the optimistic spirit of that industrial era.
The building is located on Memorial Drive near the Charles River in the Cambridgeport neighborhood, making it easy to access. Visitors can view the exterior facade from the public sidewalk and admire the architecture, with tree-lined streets and other historic buildings nearby.
The building served as Polaroid Corporation's global headquarters from 1979 to 1996, playing a role in instant photography history. This unexpected connection to technology innovation shows how a 1930s industrial building later became an important place for advances in imaging technology.
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