Then and now: Building Boston’s skyline

Boston’s skyline is constantly changing, and it will continue to grow taller with proposed additions. Upcoming plans include the proposed 600-foot tall office building and five surrounding hotel, residential, and shopping buildings in Government Center. The new changes got us looking back at how Boston’s relatively young skyline grew to where it is today. Here’s a look back at how Boston’s skyline was built.

Pictured: A rendering of the proposed Government Center construction project.

Custom House

Until the 1960s, the Custom House was the tallest building in Boston. At the time of this photo, the downtown area was dwarfed by the Custom House, making it a landmark for shipping and commerce.

Picture taken 1932.

Custom House

Now, views of the tower are easily obscured throughout the Financial District, as it is now the 17th largest tower in the city. No longer a federal customs office, the structure, on the right, is now owned by Marriott. It features an observation deck on the 26th floor.

Picture taken 2011.

Prudential Tower

“Tracks removed from Boston & Albany’s Back Bay yards mark first tangible step in construction of multimillion-dollar Prudential Center,’’ noted the caption that ran in The Boston Globe. The site pictured is where the new tower was eventually built. The Back Bay’s dominating feature of the skyline at the time? The Old John Hancock Building, also known as the Berkeley Building, which is pictured at the left of this photo.

Picture taken before 1964.

Prudential Tower

Boston’s second tallest building, which was built in in 1965, now features 52 stories of office space. The building’s Skywalk observatory and shopping mall make it a popular spot for tourists.

Picture taken 2011.

One Boston Place

Actually located at 201 Washington St., the building (at top left) is near City Hall Plaza and the Old State House. Construction began in 1967, and the first tenants moved into the building in 1970.

Picture taken 1973.

One Boston Place

Now known as the BNY Mellon Center at One Boston Place, the building is 41 stories tall (shown at center). It contains various law, financial, real estate, and corporate firm offices. The tower is fourth largest in Boston — with the Federal Reserve building, the Prudential Tower, and John Hancock Tower being taller.

Picture taken 2012.

First National Bank Building

Construction neared completion on the new First National Bank Building, at center right. Only One Boston Place was taller when this was being built.

Picture taken 1971.

Located at 100 Federal St., the 37-floor skyscraper in Boston’s Financial District is now Boston’s sixth largest tower. It is easily recognized by the distinctive bulge above its base.

Picture taken 2012.

Federal Reserve Bank

The photo shows the future site of the new building at 600 Atlantic Ave. near Dewey Square. The building was constructed during a time when Boston’s skyline was being to really beginning to take shape, coming just a few years after One Boston Place and the First National Bank building.

Picture taken 1973.

Federal Reserve Bank

The Boston Federal Reserve moved to this location in 1977. Resembling a silver “washboard,’’ the building (in middle), or “office in the air,’’ is the third tallest in the city.

Picture taken 2012

John Hancock Tower

After delaying its opening from 1971 to 1976, the John Hancock Tower certainly went through its tough times. During construction, the building lost entire window panes that would detach from the building and crash onto the sidewalk below. The Hancock is in the right background of the photo.

Picture taken 1973.

John Hancock Tower

At 62 stories, the John Hancock Tower, designed by the architecture firm of I.M. Pei, is the tallest building in Boston. Its city observatory closed after Sept. 11, 2001, and there are no plans to reopen it. This photo was taken from the Prudential Tower’s Skywalk observatory.

Picture taken 2011.

Exchange Place

The original Boston Stock Exchange building was constructed in 1891, although it looks far different now than it did when first constructed.

Picture taken before 1984.

Exchange Place

The building’s large glass tower was added in 1984. It is now Boston’s 12th tallest building. The facade of the old building was included in the new Exchange Place’s structure. Exchange Place at 53 State St. was sold in December 2011 for $610 million to Swiss financial giant UBS. Tenants of the building include advertising agency Hill Holliday, the Boston Consulting Group, and law firm Goodwin Procter. The building, at right, is across the street from another skyscraper, 60 State Street.

Picture taken 2012