Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
General Partners' Capital Account, Units Outstanding (in units)	1,717,743
Limited Partners' Capital Account, Units Outstanding (in units)	152,072,432
Excess stock, par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Excess stock, shares authorized	150,000,000	150,000,000
Excess stock, shares issued	0	0
Excess stock, shares outstanding	0	0
Preferred stock, par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred stock, shares authorized	50,000,000	50,000,000
Common stock, par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, shares authorized	250,000,000	250,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	153,869,075	153,658,866
Common stock, shares outstanding	153,790,175	153,579,966
Treasury common stock at cost, shares	78,900	78,900
Real estate, at cost (amounts related to variable interest entities (“VIEs”) of $6,760,078 at December 31, 2016)	$ 20,147,263	$ 19,481,535
Less: accumulated depreciation (amounts related to VIEs of ($758,640) at December 31, 2016)	(4,222,235)	(3,925,894)
Cash and cash equivalents (amounts related to VIEs of $253,999 at December 31, 2016)	356,914	723,718
Cash held in escrows (amounts related to VIEs of $4,955 at December 31, 2016)	63,174	73,790
Tenant and other receivables (amounts related to VIEs of $23,525 at December 31, 2016)	92,548	97,865
Accrued rental income (amounts related to VIEs of $224,185 at December 31, 2016)	799,138	754,883
Deferred charges, net (amounts related to VIEs of $290,436 at December 31, 2016)	686,163	704,867
Prepaid expenses and other assets (amounts related to VIEs of $42,718 at December 31, 2016)	129,666	185,118
Mortgage notes payable, net (amounts related to VIEs of $2,018,483 at December 31, 2016)	2,063,087	3,435,242
Mezzanine notes payable (amounts related to VIEs of $307,093 at December 31, 2016)	307,093	308,482
Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities	298,524	274,709
Accrued interest payable (amounts related to VIEs of $162,226 at December 31, 2016)	243,933	190,386
Other liabilities (amounts related to VIEs of $175,146 at December 31, 2016)	$ 450,821	$ 483,601
Series B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock / Unit [Member]
Preferred stock, par value	$ 0.01	$ 0
Preferred stock, shares authorized	92,000	92,000
Series B Dividend Rate Percentage	5.25%	5.25%
Preferred stock / units, shares / units issued (in shares / units)	80,000	80,000
Series B Liquidation Preference Per Share/ Unit	$ 2,500.00	$ 2,500
Preferred stock / units, shares / units outstanding (in shares / units)	80,000	80,000
Boston Properties Limited Partnership
Redeemable Partnership Units Series Four Preferred Units Shares Outstanding ( in units)	0	0
Redeemable Partnership Units Common Units Shares Outstanding (in units)	17,079,511	16,097,473
Redeemable Partnership Units Common Units Long Term Incentive Units At Redemption Value Units Outstanding (in units)	904,588	1,831,714
General Partners' Capital Account, Units Outstanding (in units)	1,717,743	1,715,092
Limited Partners' Capital Account, Units Outstanding (in units)	152,072,432	151,864,874
Real estate, at cost (amounts related to variable interest entities (“VIEs”) of $6,760,078 at December 31, 2016)	$ 19,733,872	$ 19,061,141
Less: accumulated depreciation (amounts related to VIEs of ($758,640) at December 31, 2016)	(4,136,364)	(3,846,816)
Cash and cash equivalents (amounts related to VIEs of $253,999 at December 31, 2016)	356,914	723,718
Cash held in escrows (amounts related to VIEs of $4,955 at December 31, 2016)	63,174	73,790
Tenant and other receivables (amounts related to VIEs of $23,525 at December 31, 2016)	92,548	97,865
Accrued rental income (amounts related to VIEs of $224,185 at December 31, 2016)	799,138	754,883
Deferred charges, net (amounts related to VIEs of $290,436 at December 31, 2016)	686,163	704,867
Prepaid expenses and other assets (amounts related to VIEs of $42,718 at December 31, 2016)	129,666	185,118
Mortgage notes payable, net (amounts related to VIEs of $2,018,483 at December 31, 2016)	2,063,087	3,435,242
Mezzanine notes payable (amounts related to VIEs of $307,093 at December 31, 2016)	307,093	308,482
Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities	298,524	274,709
Accrued interest payable (amounts related to VIEs of $162,226 at December 31, 2016)	243,933	190,386
Other liabilities (amounts related to VIEs of $175,146 at December 31, 2016)	$ 450,821	$ 483,601
Boston Properties Limited Partnership | Series B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock / Unit [Member]
Series B Dividend Rate Percentage	5.25%	5.25%
Preferred stock / units, shares / units issued (in shares / units)	80,000	80,000
Series B Liquidation Preference Per Share/ Unit	$ 2,500	$ 2,500
Preferred stock / units, shares / units outstanding (in shares / units)	80,000	80,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Real estate, at cost (amounts related to variable interest entities (“VIEs”) of $6,760,078 at December 31, 2016)	$ 6,760,078
Less: accumulated depreciation (amounts related to VIEs of ($758,640) at December 31, 2016)	(758,640)
Cash and cash equivalents (amounts related to VIEs of $253,999 at December 31, 2016)	253,999
Cash held in escrows (amounts related to VIEs of $4,955 at December 31, 2016)	4,955
Tenant and other receivables (amounts related to VIEs of $23,525 at December 31, 2016)	23,525
Accrued rental income (amounts related to VIEs of $224,185 at December 31, 2016)	224,185
Deferred charges, net (amounts related to VIEs of $290,436 at December 31, 2016)	290,436
Prepaid expenses and other assets (amounts related to VIEs of $42,718 at December 31, 2016)	42,718
Mortgage notes payable, net (amounts related to VIEs of $2,018,483 at December 31, 2016)	2,018,483
Mezzanine notes payable (amounts related to VIEs of $307,093 at December 31, 2016)	307,093
Outside member's notes payable	180,000
Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities	110,457
Accrued interest payable (amounts related to VIEs of $162,226 at December 31, 2016)	162,226
Other liabilities (amounts related to VIEs of $175,146 at December 31, 2016)	175,146
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Boston Properties Limited Partnership
Real estate, at cost (amounts related to variable interest entities (“VIEs”) of $6,760,078 at December 31, 2016)	6,760,078
Less: accumulated depreciation (amounts related to VIEs of ($758,640) at December 31, 2016)	758,640
Cash and cash equivalents (amounts related to VIEs of $253,999 at December 31, 2016)	253,999
Cash held in escrows (amounts related to VIEs of $4,955 at December 31, 2016)	4,955
Tenant and other receivables (amounts related to VIEs of $23,525 at December 31, 2016)	23,525
Accrued rental income (amounts related to VIEs of $224,185 at December 31, 2016)	224,185
Deferred charges, net (amounts related to VIEs of $290,436 at December 31, 2016)	290,436
Prepaid expenses and other assets (amounts related to VIEs of $42,718 at December 31, 2016)	42,718
Mortgage notes payable, net (amounts related to VIEs of $2,018,483 at December 31, 2016)	2,018,483
Mezzanine notes payable (amounts related to VIEs of $307,093 at December 31, 2016)	307,093
Outside member's notes payable	180,000
Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities	110,457
Accrued interest payable (amounts related to VIEs of $162,226 at December 31, 2016)	162,226
Other liabilities (amounts related to VIEs of $175,146 at December 31, 2016)	$ 175,146