10 World Trade | BGI Office Tower (Massport Parcel A2) | Seaport

I feel like were getting pretty close to the point where ppl from other cities point at the seaport and say “look what we could have” in the same way that people have pointed to the oslo waterfront and said the same thing. I dont think its quiiiite there yet but once the seaport square is finished and then the parcels on both sides of the park it will really feel like that area is almost finished. Regardless its really come a long way and most ppl seem to really enjoy spending time in the area.
 
stick n move said:
I feel like were getting pretty close to the point where ppl from other cities point at the seaport and say “look what we could have” in the same way that people have pointed to the oslo waterfront and said the same thing. I dont think its quiiiite there yet but once the seaport square is finished and then the parcels on both sides of the park it will really feel like that area is almost finished. Regardless its really come a long way and most ppl seem to really enjoy spending time in the area.
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100%! I use Seaport as a reference point here in Nashville, TN as we have a lot of open land really close to the core that could be master planned.
FWIW, Fallon has been named the master developer of 30 acres of Metro Nashville owned land around the new multi-use arena (aka Nissan Stadium) so the Seaport has even more meaning in Nashville now with Fallon brought into the fold. Ironically enough, Oslo (specifically the Opera House) has been another reference point I use for River activation here around the Fallon controlled parcels.
 
This facade is very moody - very dark when rainy or overcast but lightens up nicely when the sun is out —

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Really torn on this facade. I want to like it but the dark glass is... eh. Boston gets a lot of overcast and shitty days in the winter and this feels oppressive with it's looming inverted structure.

I need to get down there and view it in person I guess.
 
I think it was mentioned above somewhere, but let's not forget that these are View Smart windows, which, if I understand the technology correctly, will darken and lighten according to ambient conditions and remove the need for blinds. Since the building isn't done, I assume these are in the "off/dark" setting, but not sure.

I'd be curious to see how the external view changes during testing.

 
Even if it's almost always "dark," that'd be awesome. We have enough blue or mirrored glass towers. Not TOO many, but enough. Other than 1 Dalton, we don't have any prominent dark glass highrises (which, I realize at this height, 10 World Trade isn't really...).
 
393b40 said:
Boston gets a lot of overcast and shitty days in the winter and this feels oppressive with it's looming inverted structure.
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I've become convinced the most important test of a building's architecture mettle is whether it looks good in cloudy weather. And the overwhelming majority of postwar structures (unlike their predecessors) do not. Anything can shine on a sunny day (sorry for the pun) - grey days are much harder. Let's see how this one turns out.
 
The tone of the glass will also change a little once its occupied as we've seen on other buildings. It should lighten up one way or another somewhat.

Its ok to have something different- we didnt need anymore blue glass in the seaport
 
itchy said:
I've become convinced the most important test of a building's architecture mettle is whether it looks good in cloudy weather. And the overwhelming majority of postwar structures (unlike their predecessors) do not. Anything can shine on a sunny day (sorry for the pun) - grey days are much harder. Let's see how this one turns out.
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Makes me think about this wonderful old post about Boston's color palette and the importance of brick in helping to keep the city feel vibrant and warm in the winter. And yes, this is an issue in the Seaport. For as lively as the neighborhood is on a Friday evening between May and September, there are parts of it that are absolutely inhospitable in the middle of February.
 
I may be in a minority, but personally I think a harbor on the north Atlantic should be kind of bleak in the winter months. I like the gray, hard look and feel that comes with being located in this geography.
 
HenryAlan said:
I may be in a minority, but personally I think a harbor on the north Atlantic should be kind of bleak in the winter months. I like the gray, hard look and feel that comes with being located in this geography.
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I get what you're saying...hopefully it doesn't look miserable, but there's got to be an artistic way reflect the tough winters of the area.
 
stick n move said:
I feel like were getting pretty close to the point where ppl from other cities point at the seaport and say “look what we could have” in the same way that people have pointed to the oslo waterfront and said the same thing. I dont think its quiiiite there yet but once the seaport square is finished and then the parcels on both sides of the park it will really feel like that area is almost finished. Regardless its really come a long way and most ppl seem to really enjoy spending time in the area.
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It's so close. I was there today. Once the park in front of the new Amazon building is open it's going to be the nicest neighborhood I've ever seen. It probably already is. So many new businesses. Part of me thinks the 300ish foot limit must have made architects get creative because it is unlike any other place.
 
Patrick Winn said:
It's so close. I was there today. Once the park in front of the new Amazon building is open it's going to be the nicest neighborhood I've ever seen. It probably already is. So many new businesses. Part of me thinks the 300ish foot limit must have made architects get creative because it is unlike any other place.
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Not specifically commenting on the Seaport, but in my opinion, the best urban spaces I've had the opportunity to enjoy have all been locations with height limits and densely packed mid-rise architecture. The Seaport fits in with this concept quite well.
 
Patrick Winn said:
It's so close. I was there today. Once the park in front of the new Amazon building is open it's going to be the nicest neighborhood I've ever seen. It probably already is. So many new businesses. Part of me thinks the 300ish foot limit must have made architects get creative because it is unlike any other place.
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I like the Seaport, but you can sure find a "love/hate" relationship with people posting online. Quite a few people think the Seaport is soulless, only for rich people, and not very diverse. There is "some" truth to this, but overall, it's a nice place with many new businesses and retail as you mention. The architecture has consistently gotten better and more inventive in my opinion. Some of the first buildings are just really terrible in my opinion, like the glass box in front of the ICA. I wasn't a fan of this World Trade Office Tower, but it's turning out better than I expected, and it's an interesting shape. :)
 
Java King said:
I like the Seaport, but you can sure find a "love/hate" relationship with people posting online. Quite a few people think the Seaport is soulless, only for rich people, and not very diverse. There is "some" truth to this, but overall, it's a nice place with many new businesses and retail as you mention. The architecture has consistently gotten better and more inventive in my opinion. Some of the first buildings are just really terrible in my opinion, like the glass box in front of the ICA. I wasn't a fan of this World Trade Office Tower, but it's turning out better than I expected, and it's an interesting shape. :)
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That does remind me. My friend sent me this video — and I normally would shrug it off but he’s a bit of a conservative so it’s interesting he agreed with this sentiment:


Overall I find it hard to argue with. The seaport lacks cheap housing, trolleys and trains, nice brick buildings with ivy, dive bars, sports. In other words it’s like you took all the bits that make people attached to Boston out of the neighborhood. I’ve come to accept that people in this forum are architecture heads so they see things different than the average offline person does. I was also hanging out with some Charlestown-native old heads and they had the same complaints coupled with jokes about it being underwater soon. But it’s worth zooming out and realizing that while it is improving in a general sense, we did, in general, screw the pooch.
 
Longfellow said:
That does remind me. My friend sent me this video — and I normally would shrug it off but he’s a bit of a conservative so it’s interesting he agreed with this sentiment:


Overall I find it hard to argue with. The seaport lacks cheap housing, trolleys and trains, nice brick buildings with ivy, dive bars, sports. In other words it’s like you took all the bits that make people attached to Boston out of the neighborhood. I’ve come to accept that people in this forum are architecture heads so they see things different than the average offline person does. I was also hanging out with some Charlestown-native old heads and they had the same complaints coupled with jokes about it being underwater soon. But it’s worth zooming out and realizing that while it is improving in a general sense, we did, in general, screw the pooch.
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The "drinking while x" part of that video is so, so true. But, then again, I don't drink. So, to quote the great American philosopher Mitch Hedberg, "This is not the target market."

I really think personal preference is driving the split Java King mentions. I've mentioned before that I personally find the Seaport to be weirdly too cool for someone like me to be in. It sure seems like a lot of other people like it, though! In my mind there is no way that this blank slate was going to be successful as anything but what it is now. You can't manufacture a colorful, diverse neighborhood out of thin air, that takes decades. In a sense, it's good that Boston now has this Gentrification District to concentrate those forces away from the existing neighborhoods.
 
Arenacale said:
The "drinking while x" part of that video is so, so true. But, then again, I don't drink. So, to quote the great American philosopher Mitch Hedberg, "This is not the target market."

I really think personal preference is driving the split Java King mentions. I've mentioned before that I personally find the Seaport to be weirdly too cool for someone like me to be in. It sure seems like a lot of other people like it, though! In my mind there is no way that this blank slate was going to be successful as anything but what it is now. You can't manufacture a colorful, diverse neighborhood out of thin air, that takes decades. In a sense, it's good that Boston now has this Gentrification District to concentrate those forces away from the existing neighborhoods.
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Certainly I am a big pro housing guy as I think we all are. It's fine to build any type of housing, we need it. Though I think the fact that you or I can't afford to live there is always gonna be an elephant in the room for this type of discussion. It will always be a -1 I think.
 
Wasn't there a proposal about 5-7 years ago to replace the old dilapidated Northern Ave bridge (or whatever its called) with some slick looking pedestrian bridge? Aesthetically, that would go a long way and help to draw more people (foot-traffic) to the Seaport.
 
citydweller said:
Wasn't there a proposal about 5-7 years ago to replace the old dilapidated Northern Ave bridge (or whatever its called) with some slick looking pedestrian bridge? Aesthetically, that would go a long way and help to draw more people (foot-traffic) to the Seaport.
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Northern Avenue Bridge Fort Point Channel

Unpopular opinion: the Northern Avenue Bridge was ugly the day it was built. No idea why so much importance is attached to preserving it.
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f you asked me they should build it wider and put buildings on either side of it all the way across :)
 
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