Marrying history with the future.

That was the charge that General Electric gave to Gensler when the industrial giant hired the architectural firm to design a new headquarters complex overlooking Boston’s Fort Point Channel.

The end result: a striking 12-story glass building, topped off by a giant, sail-like solar “veil’’ and an illuminated GE logo, connected to two renovated, century-old brick warehouses.

A key goal behind the nearly 390,000-square-foot project, as described in documents filed Monday with the Boston Redevelopment Authority, is to exemplify the massive shift within GE as it becomes what it calls a “digital industrial’’ company, one that focuses on how to make machines smarter and more connected.

“We knew we were going to be working with the old historic brick buildings and wanted something more contemporary, but it had to speak to the old buildings, it had to relate,’’ said Ann Klee, a GE vice president. “We didn’t want to create another big, black box.’’

Only 16 percent of the complex’s space will be devoted to corporate headquarters offices, leaving room for startups, conference rooms, and workspace for digital programmers. The ground floors of all three buildings will primarily be open to the public.

GE will first renovate the two vacant warehouses at 5 and 6 Necco Court, and plans to start moving employees into those buildings in early 2018, with 800 workers eventually expected to be based there.

Jon Chesto can be reached at jon.chesto@globe.com.